ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis landmark is soon going to look a bit different thanks to a $240 million renovation. Every year more than 500,000 people step through the doors at America’s Center.
“People walk in and ask 'Is this the Marriott Grand?'” Brian Hall, chief marketing officer with Explore St. Louis, said. “What is this?”
According to Hall, that’s soon going to change as America’s Center undergoes its first facelift in 30 years.
“The Dome opened up in 1995,” said Hall. “This is the first major expansion of America’s Center since 1993.”
Renovations are currently underway to update the exterior of the building.
“We’re going to have LED lighting,” said Hall. “We’re going to have nice up lighting. We’re going to replace the canopy. It’s going to be a really nice sense of arrival.”
Once inside convention goers will quickly notice the exhibition space, which is adding an additional 72,000 square feet to its existing footprint.
“We could fit 10 football fields into the America’s Center exhibit space,” said Hall.
A parking lot will also be replaced with 88,000 square feet of green space and an outdoor garden.
“We’re going to grow to produce here that we serve to delegates inside,” said Hall.
The city and county of St. Louis are helping to pick up the tab by contributing $105 million each.
“That’s funded by hotel tax,” said Hall. “The same people that are staying in our hotels are helping to fund the expansion of America’s Center.”
An additional $30 million in funding is being paid for with Rams settlement money, which Hall says will make our city shine.
“This project will help us fuel additional convention activity and help us compete with cities that surround us like Nashville, Memphis, Indianapolis and Denver much more successfully well into the future,” said Hall.
If everything goes as planned the $240 million renovation of America's Center is expected to be finished in early 2024.