Ocean City convention center renovation to get millions more in funding

Ocean City may soon receive the funding it needs to start its project to expand and renovate the Roland E. Powell Convention Center.

The $37.5 million project has been in the works for the past few years, as the town has awaited funding approval from the Maryland General Assembly and Gov. Larry Hogan.

The House of Delegates and the governor have both given a green light to the bill to allocate funding for the project, so now the legislation is in its final stages and pending approval from the State Senate.

If passed, the bill would allow the Board of Public Works to issue bonds to both Ocean City and the Maryland Stadium Authority for the purpose of renovating and expanding the convention center.

In the latest version of the bill, the funding for the convention center project totals $37.5 million — a $2.6 million bump from last year. Ocean City is expected to contribute $15 million of this funding, with the state making up the rest.

The reason for the increase in funding is likely due to the higher cost of steel and other commodities, as well as salaries for workers, said Larry Noccolino, executive director of the convention center.

Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan said he and other town officials are hopeful the town will get the final approval on the funding so they can start renovating the convention center.

This 30,000-square-foot expansion to the exhibit halls in the convention center will help the town accommodate the increasing number of vendors and conventions that want to utilize the space, Meehan said.

"We've run out of space," Meehan said. "We have a lot of conventions and other vendors who want to utilize the space, so this expansion will allow us to attract more users."

The convention center currently offers about 60,000 square feet of exhibit space: 19,126 square feet of ballroom space, 23,295 square feet of meeting space, a 1,200-seat Performing Arts Center and 1,320 parking spaces.

While this expansion funding has been pending, the convention center has actually had to turn away clients due to lack of space, Noccolino said.

If all goes well with this legislation, Noccolino said town officials hope to break ground on the project sometime in summer or early fall. Overall, the project will likely take 16 months to complete.

Background:Ocean City convention center gets $20 million boost for makeover

Background:Ocean City convention center expansion plan takes shape

So far, seven Republican senators have sponsored the bill to approve the increased convention center funding. Among these senators are several who represent districts on the Eastern Shore, including Mary Beth Carozza, Adelaide Eckardt and Stephen Hershey Jr.

The planned expansion to the convention center is expected to generate about 570 jobs and $51 million in revenue, Carozza said.

"This expansion is needed to meet the current pent up demand for new conventions and future growth for existing customers, such as the Maryland State Firemen’s Convention and the Maryland Association of Counties," Carozza said in an email. "Along with the positive local economic impact, the Ocean City convention center has been a revenue generator for the state of Maryland."

Contact reporter Sara Swann at (302) 324-7711, sswann@delmarvanow.com or on Twitter @saramswann.

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