Philly convention expansion leads to hotel boom
Monday, 17 Jun, 2008
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The $700 million convention center expansion underway in Philadelphia is predicted to have a major impact that goes beyond more meetings, including:
- Tourism officials said the 376,000-square-foot Convention Center addition could spur construction of up to 2,600 Center City hotel rooms.
- Three hotels are under construction, totaling 535 rooms, and developers are planning construction of at least 2,100 more rooms, said Jack Ferguson, executive vice president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
- The hotels scheduled to open next year include a 202-room Le Meridien Hotel; Hotel Palomar, a project of Kimpton Hotel Group, with 235 rooms; and a 95-room Four Points by Sheraton hotel, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Other lodgings planned include a 268-room Intercontinental Hotel. The 40-story hotel would include space for retailers, apartments and condominiums.
- A slew of new shops and outdoor cafes in an outdoor plaza.
- A new walkway for pedestrians to get to museums and hotels. An artist’s rendering shows the plaza with an outdoor ice-skating rink.
The new convention center is due to open in 2011.
David
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