Government
BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
New Braunfels City Council received an update on the potential expansion of its convention center during a special meeting April 6. Brandon Dowling, a principal with C.H. Johnson Consulting Inc.—the rm selected by council to conduct a market viability study for the proposed expansion— said the city could potentially support a convention center and ballroom double the current size. Council gets update on proposed civic center expansion How does New Braunfels compare? When it comes to exhibit, ballroom and meeting space, New Braunfels' Civic & Convention Center is 71% less than the national average and 26% less than the regional average, according to the meeting presentation.
In a nutshell
could potentially support a convention center and ballroom double the current size, Dowling said. Redevelopment of the convention center could reposition it as a regional event hub, support new investment and create a more walk- able downtown area, according to the meeting presentation. According to the presentation, large event facilities typically undergo an expansion or renovation every 15 years. The New Braunfels Civic & Convention Center opened in 1971, and its last major renovation was in 2008, according to the presentation. The rm also engaged with various stakehold- ers, including city residents, local arts organiza- tions, the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, convention center sta and event planners, according to the presentation. District 3 council member D. Lee Edwards said Dowling’s presentation was “right on target.”
The rst part of the study was a supply and demand analysis for the expansion of the exist- ing center. It analyzed economic, demographic, visitor and market conditions impacting the existing facility, and established the potential demand for new space based on trends and growth in the local and regional markets, city o cials said in an email to Community Impact . There are 120 hotel rooms within a 15-minute walk of the city’s convention center now, which is lower than the average for a convention center. Dowling said any future expansion of the convention center is going to need some form of hotel. “We’re not aiming to compete with the size and scale of Austin or San Antonio, but we think that there’s a market in between that, that is really right for New Braunfels to consider,” Dowling said during the special meeting. Based on preliminary information, the city
New Braunfels Civic & Convention Center
National average Regional average
Stay tuned
New Braunfels Civic & Convention Center
City controlled areas
The next step in the four-phase process will be presenting general program recommendations such as the size of exhibit space, ballroom space and banquet space. The third phase will consist of a master plan. A scal impact analysis will be conducted in the nal phase. The analysis will summarize the costs and bene ts of the community pursuing the recommendations presented in the program. City o cials anticipate having these results by late summer, the email states.
Exhibit space Ballroom space Meeting space
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
SOURCE: RELEVANT FACILITIES, JOHNSON CONSULTING COMMUNITY IMPACT
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