sept-2017

160 161 THE PHOENIX CONVENTION CENTER AT A GLANCE THE PHOENIX CONVENTION CENTER WHAT: One of the country’s top convention center facilities WHERE: Downtown Phoenix, Arizona WEBSITE: www.phoenixconventioncenter.com THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN T hePhoenixConventionCenterwasborne fromacitizensgroupthatwas formed in theearly1960s tostudythedevelopmentof facilities that couldhostboth local cultural andtheatrical events,aswell as regional andnational conventionbusiness–bothofwhichwouldenhance theeconomicvitalityof thecity’sdowntown.Construc- tionof thePhoenixCivicPlazabegan in1969,andwas completed in1972,at acostof$28million.Theoriginal project includedboththePhoenixConventionCenter andPhoenixSymphonyHall ona16.5-acreplazasite in theheartofdowntown. In1985,theConventionCenterdoubled its space to over300,000square feet,and inthemid1990s,it em- barkedona$32millionrenovationproject toupdate andenhance its image.Thenext eraof improvements cameabout intheearly2000s,when,accordingto John Chan,theCenter’sDirector,therewasaneffortbythe cityand itshotels totakeastudied lookat the futureof the tourismindustryasawhole. “Therewasamajor initiative fordowntownrevitaliza- tion inthemid-2000s,”saysChan.“It spurrednewhotel development anddevelopmentof the light rail corri- Phoenix Convention Center The