Can Emporia have two convention centers in town? According to Emporia Main Street Director Casey Woods, the answer is yes — if they are placed in the right areas.
Next question: will Emporia have two convention centers? That answer hinges on a potential hotel-convention center in northwest Emporia and longstanding plans for the so-called Breckenridge Hotel and Convention Center downtown, which may well be halted if the property sells and new ownership moves in a different direction. Woods tells KVOE News Emporia will draw conventions to town based on assets, and a lot of those tourist attractions or “anchors” are downtown.
Wednesday’s announcement of Emporia City Commission support for a hotel-convention center in northwest Emporia through industrial revenue bonds came three months after the former Lowther North building, more commonly known now as the Breckenridge Hotel and Convention Center, was put on the market. Woods says the downtown approach may move away from a combination concept to a hotel-only project, and there are several unspecified properties already identified either in or near downtown. Plans for anything downtown may need additional features not currently available.
Emporia city commissioners approved a resolution to issue up to $13 million worth of Industrial Revenue Bonds as Fairview Hotels LLC razes the former site of Montana Mike’s and Cracker Barrel restaurants at 3010 Eaglecrest before turning the address into a hotel and convention center. Construction could begin next spring. City Special Projects Coordinator Jim Witt says the plan is for an 80-room hotel with enough convention center space for at least 200 attendees. Bonds would be issued after construction ends.
The initial plans for the Breckenridge involved roughly 80 rooms and enough convention space for around 400 attendees, but funding issues and a conflict between desired building changes and policies through the National Register of Historic Places eventually halted the project. The initial asking price was listed at $1.5 million. Negotiations continue for a potential sale of the building, while conversations continue about the building’s potential future use.
