GREEN BAY, Wisconsin — Workers have broken ground on a $23 million addition to the KI Convention Center.
“Green Bay will be able to attract and host larger conventions from across the country with the expanded center,” said Mayor Jim Schmitt. “This expansion will be an economic driver for Green Bay, and we are very excited to get underway with the project.”
The expansion is expected to be completed in June 2015. The center will include a 24,500-square-foot ballroom and three additional meeting rooms. The expansion will provide 30,700 square feet of new meeting space, bringing the center up to nearly 80,000 square feet. It will be able to host 3,000 people for a meeting and 2,000 for a meal.
The convention center expansion will be elevated over a street and an adjacent parking lot, providing sprawling views of the city and of the Fox River. A plaza for relaxing will double as an outdoor reception space. The headquarters hotel, Hyatt on Main, anchors one side of the center, and the Clarion Hotel will be connected to the opposite side of the facility.
“I am very excited to share this great facility and the Greater Green Bay area with meeting planners,” said Beth Ropson, director of sales for the CVB. “With this expansion located along the beautiful Fox River, we have a great setting for planners to consider. The city of Green Bay has done a marvelous job of developing the riverfront, providing planners with a great setting on the CityDeck to host receptions with musical entertainment. Dining options abound, from five stars to great sports bars and microbreweries.”
Green Bay is home to one of the most iconic sports facilities in the world, historic Lambeau Field. Renovations in 2013 have made it possible for conventions to hold events and meetings for groups of 10 to 80,000 in a wide variety of spaces.
