Albany Convention Center
| Albany Convention Center | |
|---|---|
Artist rendition viewed from the current location of Liberty Street
|
|
| Address | Hudson Avenue and Broadway |
| Location | Albany, New York |
| Coordinates | 42°38′49.39″N 73°45′8.91″W / 42.6470528°N 73.7524750°W |
| Owner | Albany Convention Center Authority |
| Operator | SMG Management |
| Opened | To be determined |
|
Construction cost
|
$220 million (projected) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) (projected) |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 1 |
| • Ballroom | 2 |
| Website | |
| http://www.accany.com/ | |
The Albany Convention Center (ACC) is a proposed convention center to be located in downtown Albany, New York. The complex was initially proposed by Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings in 1994, though no real action was taken until 2002; the project has been controversial from the beginning. In 2004 the Albany Convention Center Authority (ACCA) was established by the New York Legislature to develop plans for the site. Supported by Governor George Pataki, the project was awarded a $75 million grant in 2005. Initial cost estimates for the project started at around $150 million, but these soon rose to almost $400 million before dropping again to $220 million after turning hotel and parking garage development over to private firms. The finished complex is expected to have around 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of convention space.
The main incentive for the ACC is the lack of significant convention space in Albany—New York's capital—and the potential for significant use by statewide organizations. The project is also controversial, being seen as a poor use of tax-payer money, especially during an economic recession.
The plan originated with Albany Mayor Gerald Jennings and various supporters in 1994, though progress was not actually made until 2002 when the mayor put out a "request for expressions of interest", with which the mayor requested possible locations for the convention center as well as preliminary designs and cost estimates. The complex was initially expected to cost between $140 and $160 million. The incentive for such a plan was based mainly on the lack of significant convention space in Albany and potential profits that could be generated from such a center in the state capital. Early plans suggested a 400-room hotel and up to 130,000 square feet (12,000 m2) of convention space, large enough to accommodate 5,000 to 7,000 people.
Plans expanded quickly and by early 2003, estimates had reached $185 million with 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) and parking for up to 1,500 cars. By this time a Jennings-appointed convention center task force had yet to decide on a site. The top two locations were west of the Pepsi Arena (now known as the Times Union Center) between State and Beaver Streets and east of the Pepsi bounded by Broadway, Beaver Street, and Greene Street.
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