Wisconsin Center Breaks Ground On $420 Million Expansion
November 9, 2021
The city of Milwaukee will soon be doubling the size of its convention center via a multi-million-dollar expansion project. On Oct. 28, the Wisconsin Center District celebrated its long-awaited plan to grow the Wisconsin Center by hosting a groundbreaking ceremony attended by WCD leaders and staff, several local leaders, government officials and additional guests.
Speakers at the event included Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley; VISIT Milwaukee President and CEO Peggy Williams-Smith; VISIT Milwaukee Board Chair Dr. Eve Hall; WCD Board Chair Jim Kanter; and Marty Brooks, president and CEO of the WCD, a quasi-governmental body that operates the Wisconsin Center, UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and Miller High Life Theatre in downtown Milwaukee.
“Today’s groundbreaking is the formal celebration of our $420 million expansion that has been years in the making,” Brooks said. “Doubling the size of the convention center allows us to execute multiple, simultaneous and overlapping events, bringing even more visitors to Milwaukee. Meeting planners can expect flexible space, robust IT infrastructure and top-of-the-line health and safety features, along with our signature bold, proud, experience-obsessed delivery of service. I couldn’t be more excited for the future.”
Expected to take 24 months and be completed in early 2024, the expanded facility will offer 445,000 sq. ft. of total convention space, including a 300,000-contiguous-sq.-ft. exhibit hall; 24 additional meeting rooms for a total of 52; a new executive kitchen; a fourth-floor rooftop ballroom with a terrace overlooking downtown Milwaukee; a minimum of 400 indoor parking spots; and six new loading docks. The project will also modernize the existing facility’s interior.
Designed with meeting planner input, the soon-to-be expanded facility will not only offer more modern, functional and flexible spaces capable of accommodating groups of all sizes but also draw in larger events that can either overlap or occur simultaneously.
According to Leslie Johnson, vice president of sales for VISIT Milwaukee, groups are already booking events in the expanded convention center, and the CVB is continuing to receive a lot of interest from show organizers interested in hosting their events in the new space.
“We are strongly encouraging meeting, convention and event planners to start making plans today for their Wisconsin Center bookings in 2024 and beyond,” Johnson said.
Built in 1998, the current Wisconsin Center offers 188,695 square feet of contiguous exposition space and 37,500 square feet of ballroom space.
“This event marks the beginning of the Wisconsin Center’s thrilling next chapter,” Williams-Smith said. “An expanded convention center means more business, more visitors and more national exposure for Milwaukee. This translates into billions of dollars in additional tourism spending to our community.”
To learn more and check out a fly-through video of the expansion, go here.
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Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started.
Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind.
“Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for."
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Hotels Coming Soon
Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond.
JW Marriott
This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar.
InterContinental Dallas
Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.
Hotel Swexan
Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.
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