Oregon Convention Center hotel project
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Learn about Metro's convention center hotel project, intended to leverage private investment and development with minimal public resources, to enhance the region's tourism economy. Find important documents and timelines.
Project status and next steps
Pre-development negotiations are underway and are expected to continue into early 2013.
The Metro Council held a work session on Dec. 4. Staff provided a project update and the results of a market study were discussed. Download the study
Metro's Oregon Convention Center is an internationally-treasured regional asset that attracts tourists and out-of-town dollars into the state. Over 22 years, it has generated nearly 5 billion dollars in economic impact, inducing visitor spending in local businesses, creating and sustaining jobs and generating income and transient lodging (hotel or motel) tax revenues that fund a variety of important community services.
In response to interest expressed by private sector hotel developers and needs outlined by OCC clients, the Metro Council directed staff to develop a hotel package for their potential consideration.
The goals of the convention center hotel are to:
- create jobs and strengthen the regional economy
- serve national convention clients, including organizers, sponsors, exhibitors and attendees, with a dedicated block of hotel rooms adjacent to the convention center to increase convenience and access before, during and after a convention
- build upon the OCC's current base of national convention clients to capture those who currently choose other cities over Portland and cite the lack of an adjacent hotel as their primary reason
- generate new demand for area hoteliers, which, in turn, boosts business for local restaurants, retailers, transportation services, recreational outfitters and many others
- protect past investments in and ensure the long-term financial viability of the OCC.
How this hotel project is different from past projects?
Metro considered a very different convention center hotel project in 2007-09. The key difference between the two projects is that only a minimal amount of public investment is currently being proposed. Below is a list of other important differences:
| 2007-09 Headquarters Hotel | 2012-13 Convention Center Hotel | Net Benefit for General Public |
|---|---|---|
| Publicly financed, requiring greater investment of public resources and putting city general funds at risk if defaulted. | Privately financed, requiring significantly less public investment. Private developer assumes bulk of risk if project defaults. | Requires minimal public investment, and developer is incentivized to make hotel a success. |
| Publicly owned and privately operated, committing public resources to develop and construct, with increased liability. |
Privately owned and operated; majority of construction and development costs provided up front by private sector. |
Minimal risk placed upon public resources. |
| Size and scale equal to “headquarters hotel” definition, requiring certain thresholds of meeting and ballroom space which translates to higher development, construction and operating costs. | Greater flexibility allowed in convention amenities allowing smaller or less meeting and ballroom space, if necessary, to keep development, construction and operating costs at a minimum. | Lower overall project costs. |
| Cost of construction labor and materials at an all-time high. | Construction labor and materials costs at pre-2009 levels. | Lower overall project costs. |
| Interest rates and financing fees at an all-time high. | Interest rates and financing fees at all-time lows; new tools available to assist with financing, including EB-5 program, etc. | Lower overall project costs. |
| Weak outlook for national and local hotel and convention markets. | Steady outlook for national convention market and strong local hotel industry. | Funds invested today will generate strong returns for OCC and local businesses. |
| Political and project leadership fractured. | Political and project leadership unified. | Efficient RFP, development and decision-making processes. |
Future vision for the convention center neighborhood
The convention center hotel will be located directly across the street from the Oregon Convention Center in the Lloyd District neighborhood. Several options are available, one directly north and one directly east of the facility. A 500-room block is necessary to serve national convention clients, so the hotel is anticipated to contain at least 600 rooms.
Amenities will include a full-service restaurant and room service, meeting and banquet rooms, and guest parking. The building will be designed to a 3 star/diamond quality or higher, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver or higher certification and meet the City of Portland’s stringent green building standards.
Project timeline
January 2012: Metro Council directed staff to engage its partners at the City of Portland, Portland Development Commission and Multnomah County to gauge interest in a hotel project funded largely by the private sector.
April 2012: Principals of Metro, PDC, the city and county signed a statement of principles agreeing to the need for and approach to pursuing additional national conventions through a convention center hotel project.
May 2012: A request for proposals was issued to private developers. Two development teams responded with interest.
July and August 2012: RFP Evaluation Committee evaluated proposals and interviewed development teams, issuing a unanimous recommendation to begin negotiations with Mortenson Development/Hyatt Hotels team.
September 2012: Metro Council approved RFP Evaluation Committee and staff recommendations to proceed with negotiations with Mortenson/Hyatt development team, upon confirmation that a labor peace agreement is reached between Hyatt Hotels and UNITE HERE.
October 2012: Metro and PDC staff launched negotiations with Mortenson/Hyatt development team. Negotiations remain underway and are expected to continue into early 2013.
Metro News updates
- Dec. 4, 2012 – Negotiations over hotel subsidy continue as consultant report touts benefits to region
- Nov. 29, 2012 – Oregon Convention Center hotel votes pushed back to 2013
- Sept. 13, 2012 – Metro Council signs off and negotiations can begin with Hyatt
- Sept. 12, 2012 – PDC agrees to enter negotiations with Hyatt for convention center hotel
- Aug. 3, 2012 – Decision on convention center hotel developer pushed back a month
- July 12, 2012 – Finalist for convention center hotel proposal could be announced next month
- April 26, 2012 – Metro Council will hear proposals for privately funding convention center hotel
- Jan. 18, 2012 – Convention center hotel discussion shifts to private sector, smaller incentives
Related PDF documents
- Dec. 4, 2012 – Metro Council/MERC joint work session
- Sept. 13, 2012 – Metro Council Resolution No. 12-4365
- Sept. 4, 2012 – Metro Council work session
- July 2012 – RFP evaluation committee
- May 11, 2012 – Request for proposals
- April 2012 – Statement of principles
- April 26, 2012 – Metro Council Resolution No. 12-4346
- Jan. 26, 2012 – Metro Council Resolution No. 12-4327
- Jan. 24, 2012 – Metro Council Work Session
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Related documents
- OCC hotel potential site map 1.5M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2012
-
OCC hotel Market Impact Study Report - revised
Updates the number of room nights lost attributable to 2011 Travel Portland Lost Business Report (p. 3) 1.3M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published December 20, 2012 - OCC hotel Market Impact Study Metro Council presentation - final 14.4M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published December 20, 2012
- OCC hotel project fact sheet 719K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published April 26, 2013
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Art and business venues
Metro owns and operates the Oregon Convention Center and the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center and operates the Portland Center for the Performing Arts.
Related Internet links
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Visit the Oregon Convention Center website
(http://www.oregoncc.org/)
