Duke Energy Convention Center to close for 18-month renovation

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - The Duke Energy Convention Center is about to undergo a major renovation.

It's putting two major lifestyle shows at risk of cancelation. There is a proposed alternative location.

The company that puts on the Cincinnati Home and Garden Show and the Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market hosts it there because of its size. There's talk of using the Sharonville Convention Center, but there is no agreement to relocate. On top of that, officials for both shows say the space is too small for them.

A convention shutdown could be like a 'COVID 2.0' for Marketplace Events (MPE).

Starting next summer, the Duke Energy Convention Center is planning to close for 18 months for a full renovation. MPE said the announcement blindsided them.

"We have done this before. We've seen it happen, but we've never had the building completely shut down, and we don't know if we'll be able to recover. We want to do everything possible to work with the city," said Marketplace Events Ohio Shows Vice President Shalini Mitchell.

MPE produces the holiday market every November and the garden show in February. Even if construction goes accordingly, Mitchell said that's two holiday shows and one garden show canceled.

"We're worried, post-COVID, I mean, it took a lot of work to build back up. How will we survive being shut down another 18 months?" she asked.

Marketplace Events is all for the facelift, but it questions why it wasn't included in the conversations and why construction isn't happening in phases.

3CDC, which is a part of the planning process, forwarded Local 12's questions to Oak View Group. It manages the center and hasn't responded to the request.

The closure's impact isn't limited to MPE.

"It's such a huge part of these companies. It's their economic lifeline," Mitchell said. "For many, they get so much business from the shows that keeps them going all year round."

Renovations wouldn't start until July 2024, but show planning begins a year in advance.

"We don't want to choose another city. We are in cities across North America. We would just lose. We would lose our Cincinnati shows if they shut down," Mitchell said.

MPE argues it's the Duke Energy Center's largest client, so it's shocked about how the situation unfolded. It believes there's still time to discuss construction plans.

The renovations on the center include a completely redesigned exterior. Inside, the space is planned to be more open and modern. All of it is expected to total $200 million.