Cincinnati Set To Expand

<B> Cincinnati Set To Expand</B>

By Robert Selwitz

Cincinnati's Albert B. Sabin Convention Center finally may be moving towards realizing its expansion and upgrade plan after years of wide acknowledgement of its need for a more state-of-the-art facility, with endless tussles over the size, cost and funding of any modernization.

Currently under speculation is an additional 240,000 square feet of exhibit space that would be added to the Sabin Center's current 161,900 square feet. Bringing the facility's total exhibit space past 400,000 square feet would be at the heart of a projected $300 million effort.

According to Greater Cincinnati CVB spokesperson Gail Harden-Renfro, decision-making delays regarding the 31-year-old facility have cost the city business. "We compete for convention bookings throughout the world. When other cities build larger facilities, often we lose our repeat business. Many groups that like Cincinnati don't return because we simply can't accommodate their needs. Hopefully, plans to be finalized before year-end should help us change that situation," she said.

Beyond the CVB, many directly impacted businesses would warmly greet a decision to go forward. Typical of widespread frustration after years of nonrewarding talk is Gary Wachs, general manager of the downtown Garfield Suites Hotel. "This project has been like an eclipse of the sun. This is the first time in five years I've seen a ray of sunshine coming through," he said.

One stumbling block, of course, is how to pay for the work. Previous concepts--including adding a half cent to Hamilton County's sales tax, tapping into state funds, and/or hotel and restaurant taxes, or securing fiscal help from neighboring Northern Kentucky communities--all have failed to generate public support.

Something else that may be floated is garnering support from the Cincinnati Equity Fund, a $45.9 million capital pool that was formed in 1996 to invest in risky downtown projects. The fund could be asked to make an investment from existing funds, or use the Center as a catalyst to launch a second fund.