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Blue Springs, MO —
This month, the Adams Pointe Conference Center in Blue Springs is celebrating its 13th anniversary. While the building has held up well the last 13 years, the time has come for changes to make the facility more competitive in the current marketplace.
Rockgate Management, which manages the center, made a presentation to the Blue Springs City Council Monday. Larry Gates, president of Rockgate, said the facility is in very good condition thanks to an aggressive maintenance and renovation process. However, he said it has come to the point where certain things cannot be done on a “Band-Aid basis.”
“We want to bring in a more contemporary look,” he said of the proposed renovations. “This is not just replacing furniture; it is a complete remodel.”
The conference center has actually not been as profitable as the city and Rockgate had hoped when discussions of it started more than 15 years ago. Approximately $100,000 each month or $1.2 million annually is required to meet operational costs. From 2001 to 2011, the center showed a net loss of $139,866. Without financial assistance from the city, this loss would have been even higher.
The loss of GE/Harmon Industries, the decline of corporate travel after Sept. 11, 2001, and the recent recession have all contributed to the less than stellar performance. In addition, competition from the nearby Hilton Garden Inn in Independence, which has a conference center, and the Drury Inn next to Children’s Mercy East Hospital have hurt. And late this year, Stoney Creek Inn is expected to open in the Falls at Crackerneck Creek at Interstate 70 and Interstate 470. The themed hotel will have 180 rooms and a 31,000-square-foot conference center.
However, despite revenue shortfalls, Gates said the quality of service and customer relations remains excellent. He said he feels these renovations will elevate Adams Pointe, solidifying it as the “premiere place” for weddings, business meetings and other events.
“We are finding a way to really explode back into the market in 2014,” he said. “This will give us a chance to have a new, contemporary environment.”
Among changes being proposed are new carpet, replacing banquet chairs, installing a wireless microphone system, a new stage and risers, a portable dance floor, replacing the Fazetron lighting system that is now considered obsolete, new “soft seating” for the concourses, communal tables and seating, new banquet skirting, updating the restrooms, replacing the ballroom vinyl, replacing entry pediments, converting the coat room to a "biz-hub" center, replacing the six-foot banquet tables, repairing side entry doors to comply with ADA standards and repairing and replacing the automatic door opening systems.
All of these renovations will be done in conjunction to renovations at the Courtyard by Marriott, the hotel connected to the conference center. The funds will come from a $600,000 building and facility reserve account that was created from the bond proceeds 13 years ago. The plan would allocate $450,000 for interior upgrades and equipment, while reserving the remaining $150,000 to address exterior issues. The City Council is expected to decide on the issue in the next few weeks.
This month, the Adams Pointe Conference Center in Blue Springs is celebrating its 13th anniversary. While the building has held up well the last 13 years, the time has come for changes to make the facility more competitive in the current marketplace.
Rockgate Management, which manages the center, made a presentation to the Blue Springs City Council Monday. Larry Gates, president of Rockgate, said the facility is in very good condition thanks to an aggressive maintenance and renovation process. However, he said it has come to the point where certain things cannot be done on a “Band-Aid basis.”
“We want to bring in a more contemporary look,” he said of the proposed renovations. “This is not just replacing furniture; it is a complete remodel.”
The conference center has actually not been as profitable as the city and Rockgate had hoped when discussions of it started more than 15 years ago. Approximately $100,000 each month or $1.2 million annually is required to meet operational costs. From 2001 to 2011, the center showed a net loss of $139,866. Without financial assistance from the city, this loss would have been even higher.
The loss of GE/Harmon Industries, the decline of corporate travel after Sept. 11, 2001, and the recent recession have all contributed to the less than stellar performance. In addition, competition from the nearby Hilton Garden Inn in Independence, which has a conference center, and the Drury Inn next to Children’s Mercy East Hospital have hurt. And late this year, Stoney Creek Inn is expected to open in the Falls at Crackerneck Creek at Interstate 70 and Interstate 470. The themed hotel will have 180 rooms and a 31,000-square-foot conference center.
However, despite revenue shortfalls, Gates said the quality of service and customer relations remains excellent. He said he feels these renovations will elevate Adams Pointe, solidifying it as the “premiere place” for weddings, business meetings and other events.
“We are finding a way to really explode back into the market in 2014,” he said. “This will give us a chance to have a new, contemporary environment.”
Among changes being proposed are new carpet, replacing banquet chairs, installing a wireless microphone system, a new stage and risers, a portable dance floor, replacing the Fazetron lighting system that is now considered obsolete, new “soft seating” for the concourses, communal tables and seating, new banquet skirting, updating the restrooms, replacing the ballroom vinyl, replacing entry pediments, converting the coat room to a "biz-hub" center, replacing the six-foot banquet tables, repairing side entry doors to comply with ADA standards and repairing and replacing the automatic door opening systems.
All of these renovations will be done in conjunction to renovations at the Courtyard by Marriott, the hotel connected to the conference center. The funds will come from a $600,000 building and facility reserve account that was created from the bond proceeds 13 years ago. The plan would allocate $450,000 for interior upgrades and equipment, while reserving the remaining $150,000 to address exterior issues. The City Council is expected to decide on the issue in the next few weeks.
