Springfield voters will decide on April 7 a 3% hotel/motel license tax to fund a new convention and event center downtown. KSMU’s Michele Skalicky talked with Jack McGee, government affairs reporter with the Springfield Daily Citizen, who’s been covering this topic.
Jack, you recently wrote an in-depth article about the proposed Springfield Convention and Event Center that a ballot issue on April 7 would fund. The convention Center's conceptual designs have been released, and we know it would incorporate the existing Expo Center. Remind our listeners why city leaders believe this is a project that's needed for Springfield, and in fact, so much so that they brought it back before voters after it failed in November.
McGee: Yeah. So both city leaders, as well as advocates of the project, really point to some of the projections outlined in a feasibility study that was completed last year that really suggests that this proposed convention center would have a significant economic impact in Springfield, both in terms of jobs created, hotel room, nights generated, you know, new local sales tax for the city, the county, as well as the state and just more spending in the community.
And that feasibility report that you're referring to is the Hunden report. The city leaders are confident that's accurate, as you said, and the project would bring more tax dollars to the city. How many room nights are predicted with the new convention center and how confident are city leaders that those numbers can be met?
McGee: Yeah. So, the study projects that the proposed convention center will eventually generate, I believe, a stabilized rate of around 80,000 room nights a year. And city leaders really just point to this feasibility study and the expertise behind Hunden Partners in their confidence that this really has the potential to achieve those numbers.
You talked with an expert on convention and event centers, Haywood Sanders, a professor emeritus at the University of Texas at San Antonio. What did he have to say about the use of convention centers post COVID?
McGee: He told me that convention centers have really not gotten back to the pre-COVID levels, and he doesn't expect them to anytime soon.
And what did you learn from him about how area convention centers, like in Kansas City and Saint Louis, are doing?
McGee: Professor Sanders pointed out to particular convention centers that are considered competitors to Springfield, both in Overland Park and in Saint Charles. And they really have not achieved the room nights that were projected in feasibility studies that were developed for those convention centers. For example, the Overland Park Convention Center was projected to generate 74,100 room nights annually by 2011, nearly a decade after it opened, and by 2009, it was generating about 38,000 hotel room nights a year. And by 2018, that figure fell to 23,300. And in 2024, that was about 28,862, according to Professor Sanders.
City leaders have said a privately developed adjacent hotel is critical to the project. Where might a hotel be built?
McGee: It remains a little unclear at this point. City leaders have suggested that it could be built on a nearby property and have acknowledged that the city has engaged in discussions with private property owners around the project site, which is the Springfield Expo Center and the adjacent vacant lot, which are already owned by the city. But Tim Rosenbury, the city's director of Quality of Place Initiatives, has also suggested that that project site could fit a hotel as well as the convention and event center itself, so that really remains to be seen. We're waiting to see how those discussions pan out and where a hotel might go if this project moves forward.
And I know the city has said that they're waiting to see how the vote goes before they really delve into that. What are you hearing about parking for a new center? Would there be enough parking available for this convention center if a lot of people are coming to downtown?
McGee: The feasibility study recommends that there be a connected parking facilities with at least 900 to, I believe it goes up to 1,200 parking spaces, and the Jordan Valley car park, which is that parking garage between the Expo Center and Hammon's Tower has, I believe, 977 parking spaces, so that would theoretically fit the bill. It is not owned by the city. It is owned by Atrium Hospitality. But Tim Rosenbury, who I previously mentioned, has suggested that it could potentially serve this convention and event center and serve as parking for visitors that come there.
Visit Springfield President Mark Hecquet told me when I interviewed him that they could move forward with this project even if they don't get the $30 million in state funds that are still in the budget but are restricted, meaning Governor Kehoe must decide if they should be released. What are you hearing about the need for that state money?
I've heard the same thing as you that it's not absolutely necessary. Really, this tax measure is kind of the make or break at this point. But the $30 million, I'm sure they would like it. It would significantly help the overall project and could bring that $175 million estimated cost potentially north of 200 million, assist with necessary property acquisition, as the city has previously indicated. The city previously allocated $30 million from the Spring Forward SGF sales tax, which that was intended to provide the matching funds that were required of this state budget earmark. So, from what I understand, from what I've been told from city leaders, this funding is still on the table, although it remains to be released by the governor.
Remind us what voter turnout was for the November election and how many votes the tax increase was defeated by.
Yeah, there was about just north of 7% turnout for the November 2020 election, which is low even for special elections here in Springfield. I think it was defeated by around 400 votes that time. And this time around, we're obviously seeing a lot more campaigning, which could generate more turnout, even though this this is going to be another single issue ballot as we don't have a school board election this April. So, for Springfield voters, this hotel tax will be the only issue they see on their ballot.
Well, Jack, thank you so much for talking to me about what you've learned about the Convention and Visitor's Center again. The election is April 7.
McGee: Yeah. Thank you for having me.
And you can read the recent story by Jack McGee about the proposed convention and event center at sgfcitizen.org. All election stories are available there for free.
