County Plan Would Split Landmark Building Into 2 Stories
POSTED: 10:14 pm CDT April 16, 2009
UPDATED: 7:39 am CDT April 17, 2009
DES MOINES, Iowa — Some Polk County leaders said they’d like to renovate Veterans Auditorium in order to draw more convention business to Des Moines.
The proposal’s possible $40 million price tag could create opposition, but county leaders said that refinancing the debt and renovating the facility could pay off over the long haul.
"We have lost about half of our state convention business, and the more we lose, the harder it is to get back," said Ron Olson.
Supporters favor closing the Polk County Convention Complex and dividing Veterans Auditorium into two floors, creating meeting rooms and a ballroom. With Wells Fargo Arena next door, the center would be able to compete with other cities.
"We were at the Plex, and prior to that, Veterans Auditorium for 40 years," said Larry Carl, who runs a statewide dental convention. "We moved it out of here (to Coralville) because we didn’t know what Polk County was going to do."
He said that his group would like to meet in Des Moines if the convention facility had a ballroom.
Adding a floor inside Veterans Auditorium isn’t going to come cheaply.
"We may want this, but God knows, we don’t need it," said Bob Wessel.
Renovations, supporters said, could cost up to $41 million. Remodeling just half of the site would cost $30 million. Wessel said that’s too much, especially right now.
"Just do nothing," he said. "This is not the time to be playing these kinds of games."
County leaders said doing nothing would cost even more if conventions keep moving out of town.
"We have to be competitive, that’s the number one issue," said Angela Connolly. "We have to stay competitive."
County leaders said the project wouldn’t raise property taxes a penny. They would pay for it by refinancing the current loans and stretching them out a few more years.
Most people at the public hearing on Thursday evening said they favored the idea, but county leaders said they want more feedback before holding a vote, possibly in three to four weeks.
This story was submitted by one of our readers and originally appeared at kcci.com
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Tony: Do I smell property values rising in Des Moines?
