(Spokane, WA, February 20, 2009) - The Spokane Public Facilities District announced today that it is laying the groundwork for the expansion of the Convention Center District over the next 20-30 years.

The Spokane PFD is working with convention center consultants and architects to study the related impacts to current land uses in the identified area to be sure they are aligned with event activity projections and future demand for space.

Vision 20/20
Vision 20/20, the master plan study prepared by the District's Consulting Team of ALSC Architects and Conventional Wisdom in collaboration with local stakeholders, outlines options for development in the Convention Center District over a 20 to 30-year time frame.

Currently the Spokane Convention Center is positioned 134th largest in size in North America by Tradeshow Week. Expansion would allow Spokane to better compete with Portland, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque, Sacramento and even Seattle for hosting conventions and tradeshows.

The trend for North American convention centers is to expand every 10 years and by increments that roughly match the size of the original exhibition space. While the average period is 10 years, the timing for building new space is affected by and must be balanced with the availability and quality of hotel rooms and attractions, the transportation infrastructure and economic conditions. The latest Convention Center expansion began with voter approval in 2002.

The first phase of the plan envisions a 300 to 350-stall surface parking lot on the South Site bounded by Spokane Falls Boulevard, Main Avenue, Washington Street and Browne Street and addition of meeting space adjacent to the Group Health Exhibit Halls.

The second phase identifies possible locations for the development of a parking structure with a minimum of 700 stalls to support events at the INB Performing Arts Center and the Convention Center.

Future expansion of the Convention Center would occur in phases and in 50,000 to 100,000 square foot increments of exhibition space to meet market demand.

The projected size of the convention center at full build-out would be 250,000 to 300,000 square feet of exhibition space, 65,000 square feet of banquet space and 110,000 square feet of meeting space.

Opportunities for hotel development are incorporated into the master plan as hotel availability and proximity are key criteria for meeting planners when selecting their destination of choice.

About Spokane Regional CVB
The Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau generates economic growth for Spokane County by successfully marketing the Spokane Region as the destination for conventions and leisure travelers from around the world. The proof is in: Visitors to Spokane County spent an estimated $805.1 million in 2007, providing jobs for nearly 10,100 residents and generating $60.3 million in non-resident tax dollars collected in Spokane County.*