A very tall and very long escalator just opened in the Colorado Convention Center, stretching above its usual expo halls to a brand new floor. Officials and downtown boosters ascended the moving staircase on Thursday, to christen the building's brand new Bluebird Ballroom. It's surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, plus a long patio on one side, that offer panoramic views of the mountains.
On this day, a layer of fog shrouded that natural beauty. Mayor Mike Johnston said there was still plenty to look at.
"You see all of Denver's vibrance right out these windows," he told the crowd during this ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. "That is what today is also about: a symbol of the fact that we know Denver's open for business. We want more and more people to come to visit. We want people to start businesses, grow their businesses here, to bring their friends and family."
Yes, the convention center's expansion offers some great views of the city. Officials hope it offers a rosy view for downtown's economic future, too.
Mayor Johnston campaigned on a promise to revitalize Denver's downtown neighborhoods, which were crippled by COVID-era business closures and have been waiting for a massive 16th Street Mall construction project to finish. The mayor began his term in office by leading by example, asking city employees to leave home and work from offices at the corridor's edge. He's also said his plans to "close" sidewalk encampments will chip away at safety concerns here and across the city, freeing up police to respond to crime as he moves people into supervised hotels and tiny home villages.
The convention center's expansion has been in the works for years, at least since voters approved $100 million dollars for the project in 2015. However long the windup, Johnston and officials at Thursday's event said the Bluebird's opening is another sign that good fortune will return to the heart of the city.
"This is an incredible crown jewel for a city that is already shining," he said. "This will only help us shine brighter and longer."
Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver, which manages the facility, said the convention center already brings in $700 million annually in economic impact.
"Once this is up and running, we anticipate another $85 million a year in annual economic impact," he told the crowd.
Conventions are moneymakers for everyone in Denver, he told attendees.
"We're employing over 40,000 people that are in our hotels, in our restaurants, in our attractions," he said. "If you think about going to a conference, you come here and then you hop in a ride share, you go shopping, you're probably eating three meals a day, you're going to some attractions, you're probably maybe going to see Red Rocks or something. That money gets out into the economy."
Scharf added that the addition isn't just for out-of-towners. Events like FAN EXPO and exhibits built for 2021's Major League Baseball All-Star game brought in a lot of locals, too.
City Council member Chris Hinds, who said he's been calling himself "Mr. Downtown" since the area became part of his district in his second term, said the city is working on other ways to bring locals back to Denver's core. The city has already ushered pop-up "activations" to the corridor, he said, and Denver's office of Economic Development and Opportunity is poised to make more moves.
"We're about to infuse millions of dollars into attracting businesses back downtown. We're focusing on Denver-owned businesses, women- and minority- Denver-owned businesses," he said. "There will be additional activation. And I think that if you build it, they will come. We are definitely building it."
The convention business is all about branding, which brings us back to those sick views.
It's been an important trend in the industry, Scharf said, and this expansion will help make Denver a destination for people who plan big events. The 80,000-square-foot ballroom space can hold up to 7,500 people and ceilings are 30 feet high.
"It's all about the brand nowadays. Nashville's Convention Center Ballroom is in the shape of a guitar. Ours is all about the beauty and the views of the Rocky Mountains, because we are a dynamic city at the base of the Rocky Mountains," he told attendees. "This is really going to allow us to stay competitive as a top convention city."
About 40 percent of conventioneers travel elsewhere around the state before or after their expos, he added, and those big windows might inspire everyone else to stick around for a few more days.
And no, he said, that brand didn't suffer a few weeks ago when the Jewish National Fund's controversial and loudly protested Global Conference for Israel came to town. He said the weeks surrounding the event showed operators know how to handle difficult moments.
The only thing possibly missing, Scharf told the crowd on Thursday, might be a quicker way back to the ground.
"If I can get the mayor's endorsement, we're gonna do a zipline down to Sculpture Park," he said.
Mayor Johnston disappeared before we could ask if he'd be down for it.
Visit Denver, which manages the Colorado Convention Center, is a financial supporter of Colorado Public Radio. Financial supporters have no editorial influence.
