A company that conducted a nine-month feasibility study says Columbia leaders should consider a sales/use tax and a food and beverage tax to support a proposed convention center. Tax increment financing (TIF) and alcohol taxes are also mentioned in the report as possible sources.
It’s an issue that’s been discussed in Columbia for more than 30 years. The company Conventions, Sports and Leisure International (CSL) also says naming rights and sponsorships can reduce costs for a convention center.
Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) director Amy Schneider presented the 131-page report to council on Monday evening. The report says Columbia attracts 1.7 million visitors annually and more than $615-million in visitor spending.
The report says a new convention center in Columbia would require a 13,000 square foot ballroom and 8,800 square feet of meeting space. The report also says while the Wyndham Executive Center and the Hilton Garden Inn offer event spaces, they lack modern amenities for large-scale events.
The report also says that Columbia currently offers about 3,600 hotel rooms and that there are only two hotels downtown. The report says one of them, the Broadway Hotel, is undergoing renovations to add 80 rooms and a 3,500 square foot ballroom.
