Newspaper Page Text
September 23, 2019, The Islander, Page 3
City conference center
Continued from Page 1
one. She also stated, “The conference
center should be operated by the ho
tel management company for a seam
less consumer experience, as well as
to maximize its economic impact and
provide Brunswick with a competitive
meeting destination.”
The Key study recommended that
to meet market demand and proj
ect objectives the conference center
should offer 6,000 square feet of total
meeting space with a building size of
between 10,000 and 12,000 square
feet.
The current Oglethorpe conference
center as designed is 21,000 square
feet with 8,800 square feet of meeting
/ usable space.
Ms. Wilson’s comments about the
current plan: “The stand-alone facility
is planned to include 8,800 square feet
of usable meeting space within 21,000
gross square feet of space. While the
usable square footage is not overly
excessive, the total square footage
of the building appears to be highly
inefficient.”
Wilson used the Hilton Garden Inn
Albany as a comparison since it is a
public / private partnership including
a hotel and conference center.
“As a benchmark the Hilton has
similar usable square footage, 9,000
square feet, however the total build
ing square footage is 13,000 square
feet.”
According to the Key report: “The
success of the conference center is con
tingent on the development of the ad
jacent hotel to be built concurrently.”
“Without the proposed 125-room
nationally-branded hotel, demand for
the conference center will not occur as
outlined.”
“The development of the conference
center must be paired to the interests
of the hotel developer.”
According to the Key study the na
tionally branded hotel should be able
to attract smaller, moderately priced
associations, SMERF (social, military,
education, religious and fraternal
meetings), and corporate groups look
ing for a quaint urban experience.
According to the Key report: “The
facility would be a value play against
the high cost of beach front / resort al
ternatives; focused on business with
high functionality without resort dis
tractions; differentiated by a smaller
sized group target whereas Jekyll’s
Convention Center focus is on 250
plus person groups; and focused on
capturing 50 percent group demand
where Brunswick hotels currently
have a limited group base due to high
FLETC demand.”
Wilson concluded that a 4,500
square foot ballroom accommodating
up to 300 persons for banquet seating
and divisible into three or four break
out sections would be the proper size
for the Oglethorpe Conference Center.
The balance of the usable square
footage, 1,500 sq. ft., would be avail
able for smaller groups during the
week and also could be ‘broken out’
into two or three smaller sections.
She concluded that the gross indoor
square footage of 10,000 to 12,000 sq.
ft. would include pre-function, back-
of-the-house, storage and circulation.
“Once the facility is developed,
it is recommended that the Golden
Isles Convention and Visitors Bureau
(CVB) support the region with a group
sales effort,” the report concluded.
During the presentation Mayor
Harvey commented, “We plan to put
city departments into the conference
center that’s why we have a larger
design.”
“But you reduced the back spaces
and there won’t be room for the city
departments,” he said.
Commissioner Felicia Harris said,
“What separates us from what every
one else has is the top notch technolo
gy and design and the cultural (aspect
of the conference center ).”
“No other place represents what
this area has / is. We have a culture
people will want to come to see,” Har
ris said.
Wilson said, “That (culture) would
be a part of selling the story; how the
property is marketed and sold.”
“Can that be incorporated into the
space?” Harris asked. Then Harris
said, “There would be no space to hold
high school graduations (the impli
cation being if the usable size were
reduced).”
The Mayor said, “We want a small
cultural arts center as well. We want
more than just a banquet room. We
want visitors to return to our area.”
Wilson responded, “A cultural at
traction is a different thing. I did a
conference center study. Cultural cen
ters don’t make money.”
Then Wilson said again, “The cul
ture would be part of the interior de
sign, the story telling and selling of
the center.”
Commissioner Julie Martin asked
Wilson for a break even time frame for
the conference center.
Wilson estimated about three
years.
Mayor Harvey said, “I don’t agree
with the scope of work. We knew
many of the things she told us.”
Commissioner Johnny Cason com
mented that the commission should
use the study. ‘Without the hotel we
do nothing,” Cason said.
Mayor Harvey asked LaRon Ben
nett, “Where are we on the hotel?”
Bennett said, “They are still com
mitted. They are waiting on us to de
cide (on the conference center).”
Bennett continued, “Early on we
decided against constructing a facility
that depended on a hotel. If we make
the center smaller, we won’t have
room for high school graduations. This
study was geared toward the hotel’s
needs.”
“If we reduce the size of the center,
it won’t accommodate all the needs
you (the city) are looking for. A 300
seat facility will struggle,” he said.
“If you cut the size of the center in
half you will be starting from scratch
(with a design),” he said.
The end result was the commission
decided to hold another work session
in “a couple of weeks” to discuss the
costs of both the smaller center and
Turn to Page 10
City conference center
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