Being located right next to the old Convention Center we had a good view of how it was being utilized. We noted that about the only show that was running out of space was the auto show. The old Convention Center was about the right size for regional meetings and shows and was an asset to the city. The building was only about 20 some years old and in no need of replacement. Connected to the Convention Center was the Minneapolis Auditorium, a classic WPA hall with the awesome "Voice of Minneapolis" pipe organ and even an ice arena in the basement. Clearly with proper maintenance and some upgrades over this years this facility would still be serving us well.
The new Convention Center's backers argued that a bigger convention center would bring in big national conventions and their big dollars. Unfortunately Minneapolis is not on the short list of places national groups want to have their conventions and we don't have enough hotel rooms to house them anyway.
The new Convention Center's backers won that battle, and throwing good money after bad we even put an addition on a couple years back. So after spending $300,000,000+, losing over a hundred living wage jobs and lots of affordable housing, bulldozing a couple year old parking ramp, and making a classic pipe organ homeless the auto show has more than enough room.
hidin' out in Hawthorne,
Dyna Sluyter
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