The Grand Junction City Council approved a plan to attach a hotel and ballroom to Two Rivers Convention Center.

In the ongoing effort to attract more convention business to the area, the city and other downtown business officials gave the go-ahead to add a 100-room hotel and a 10,000-square-foot ballroom to the Convention Center. The ballroom project is excepted to cost over $12 million and the total project completed by the spring of 2021.

The downtown arena deal didn't fly with voters. I thought the arena idea was a good one but I'm not sure a market of this size can support the concert and sporting events it would take to make a significant economic impact. The convention business is a safer bet. We've got lots to offer within an hour of downtown and that makes for a great company or convention location. Let's hope this addition will help drive those downtown visitors and give a boost to the Grand Junction economy.

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