SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Construction is beginning on a $271 million expansion of Savannah’s convention center, which local officials are counting on to help make up for meetings and conventions lost because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gov. Brian Kemp joined Savannah’s mayor and other local dignitaries for a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday at the convention center site overlooking the Savannah River.
Scheduled for completion in 2023, the expansion will double the exhibit hall space at the facility, while also adding 15 meeting rooms, a large ballroom and a parking garage with 900 spaces, the Savannah Morning News reported.
The president of the city’s tourism bureau, Joe Marinelli of Visit Savannah, said some groups have already reached out to inquire about booking conventions at the new space.
State taxpayers are footing a big portion of the bill for the Savannah project. Kemp has already secured $93 million for the convention center expansion from state lawmakers, and is seeking $90 million more in his current budget proposal.
“Savannah and coastal Georgia are known around the world as a hub for tourism and economic development,” Kemp said, “and the convention center expansion will only strengthen that first-class reputation.”
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