Riverfront Hotel Planned for New Orleans Convention Center Will Still Happen
The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center has chosen AECOM-Broadmoor to oversee their $557 million project to upgrade the complex. This is the first upgrade project since the convention center was constructed in 1984. The center has already tapped into the budget and spent $115 million on updates through the linear park which runs along the 11 blocks in front of the complex.
“We’re looking forward to digging into this project, collaborating with the entire community of trades and professionals involved to create a highly functional, beautiful, 21st century Morial Convention Center for everyone who visits it,” said AECOM-Broadmoor’s spokesperson Amy Ferguson.
Now the once cancelled hotel that was part of the project has been restored. Texas-based Matthews Southwest will take on the 500-room hotel. The hotel is just part of the new additions at the upriver end of the Convention Center. The multi-acre area will include retail, residential and an entertainment district.
The new hotel will include 13-stories along with a 28,000 square-foot festival deck that looks out onto the river. The hotel will sit on the South Front Street side and be connected to the Convention Center. The elevated pedestrian walkway that connects the hotel to the center will include restaurants and retailers.
This is great news for the city of New Orleans as its convention center is the only one in the country that does not have an attached hotel. The new project will definitely help New Orleans compete for event business with other convention centers throughout the country.