Editorial: Last-minute Monroeville Convention Center save is a community and economic win
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A convention center serves an important role for a community. Actually, it serves more than one.
It’s a gathering place for significant events that require large spaces. Those can be within a specific population like a trade or business interest. It might be broader interest like a bridal or home show. But from outdoor enthusiasts to firefighters to recreational vehicle retailers, there are few arenas that don’t indulge in a large-scale expo at some point.
Why is that important? Because it’s big business.
Nationally, these events accounted for 32% of business travel and 11% of all travel in 2019, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
When you see those numbers, you tend to think about big travel destinations like Orlando or Las Vegas. However, many conventions are statewide or regional. They focus on locations closer to home and consumers within driving distance. These are part of the $66 billion of economic impact Pennsylvania sees from travel and tourism annually.
In Southwestern Pennsylvania, the biggest locations are the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the Monroeville Convention Center. That’s why the February announcement of the Monroeville center’s closing and lease of the space to Hobby Lobby was met with shock and dismay.
The difference between the convention centers is that the David L. Lawrence is owned by the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. It is a public asset that contributes to the economic well-being of the community.
The Monroeville center is owned by Oxford Development and is operated like any business asset, with an eye toward profit.
The capitalism of it all isn’t evil; it’s just the reality. It’s a reality that impacts more than just Oxford’s bottom line, however. The convention center feeds local hotels, restaurants and retail in a way that could have dramatic impact on the area.
On Tuesday, a new announcement came. Hobby Lobby and Oxford terminated their lease agreement. The state, county and local governments plus tourism promoter Visit Monroeville had their own announcement. They were working to do much what the Sports & Exhibition Authority does by making the Monroeville Convention Center a community asset backed by either government ownership or lease.
This is a smart recognition of the importance of the convention center to the local economy. Government agencies cannot decry the actions of businesses without stepping up to be actively engaged in finding solutions.