$71.3M expansion to woo more Tri-Cities tourists ‘peaked’ this week
Construction crews hit a major milestone at the Three Rivers Convention Center on Thursday when they guided the last of the massive roof trusses into place.
The convention center is getting a $71.3 million makeover that is adding 115,000 square feet in a bid to attract more conventions, sports events and other gatherings. It is expected to boost local tourism by 200,000 visitors when it debuts in December.
At 160-foot long and 12-foot high, each truss was lifted into place by a pair of cranes. The Kennewick Public Facilities District, Lydig Construction and ALSC Architects marked the final placement with a topping off ceremony and project tours Thursday afternoon.
The team building the expansion is the same one that built the original two decades ago. The update expands on the existing convention complex by adding more meeting rooms, a spacious kitchen and, critically, a column-free meeting hall with enough room for six basketball courts.
Visit Tri-Cities officials have begun sharing information about the venue with meeting planners and hope to begin booking events soon.
The convention complex will physically connect to a five-story AC Marriott Hotel.
The $47 million hotel is being constructed by A-1 Hospitality just a few feet away. The contractor, Fowler Construction, has begun work on the second floor.
The Kennewick Public Facilities district is a quasi independent agency that works with the city of Kennewick to operate the convention complex.
It is funding the project with bonds, which will be repaid with revenue earned from events and sales tax rebates from the state.
Visit Tri-Cities calculates visitors spent $643 million in the Tri-Cities in 2024 and supported nearly 5,900 jobs in Benton and Franklin counties.