Pueblo, Colorado
Pueblo Convention Center Expansion Analysis; Report Update
The proposed expansion of the Pueblo Convention Center in Pueblo, CO, meant there would be a need for analysis of what the expansion might entail in terms of funding and impact. Hunden Partners was engaged for those purposes and provided in-depth and then updated assessments. Hunden also conducted fiscal, economic, and employment impact analysis.
Situation
The City of Pueblo and the Urban Renewal Authority of Pueblo engaged Hunden Partners on multiple occasions to assist with the expansion of the Pueblo Convention Center. The existing facility, managed by Global Spectrum, features a 16,000-square-foot ballroom and an attached full-service Marriott hotel with 164 rooms.
The proposed expansion of the Pueblo Convention Center included:
- A 28,600-square-foot exhibit hall
- Five new meeting rooms totaling 4,000 square feet
- Renovations to the existing ballroom and improvements to the five existing meeting rooms totaling 2,900 square feet
Approach
Hunden Partners completed the initial analysis in summer 2007, and the Project was approved by voters but not funded. As a result, the Urban Renewal Authority engaged Hunden again in 2009 to complete an updated and more comprehensive study that addressed the following questions:
What will be the origin of attendees to an expanded convention center?
What is the impact of an additional hotel?
What is the fiscal, economic, and employment impact of the project?
Impact
In 2023, the Colorado Convention Center completed a $233-million expansion that added the 80,000-square-foot Bluebird Ballroom, 35,000 square feet of pre-function concourse space, and a 20,000-square-foot outdoor rooftop terrace with views of downtown Denver and the Rocky Mountains. These enhancements expanded the Center’s event capacity and flexibility and are expected to generate an additional $85 million in annual economic impact for the City of Pueblo.
