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Salem Conference Center

Riverfront Downtown Urban Renewal Area -Project Overview  (PDF)

Date

Milestone   

March
2005
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Grand Opening
July
2003
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Agency approves
construction & selects
Rushforth Construction
Company to build
center 
Jan
2003
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Agency purchases
half of block to build
conference center 
Fall
2002
to
July
2003
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Input from Downtow
Advisory Board & public input on design.
Changes made and
budget amended
Fall
2002 

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Preliminary designs
LMN Architects  
May
2002
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MOU with VIP's Inc
Fall
2001
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Agency directs staff  to negotiate with VIP's
Spring
2001
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Feasibility study,
two possible sites:
1) at UnionGospel
Mission site or 2) at old Ramada Inn site  
Fall
2000
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RFP for Conference
Center feasibility 
   
 

 

Description

The Salem Conference Center , a Class A community conference center, came about as a result of a public / private joint venture between the Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Salem and VIP’S Industries - who built a Class A hotel on the other half of the block.  A market analysis completed for the project found that a conference center built  near a hotel could generate at least 15% more regional events with 30% more attendee days than a stand-alone conference center.  The Urban Renewal Agency chose to build a conference center to help revitalize the downtown core area and create more jobs. 

Ground breaking for the conference center and the hotel took place in July 2003.   The Salem Conference Center opened in March 2005 and was designed and constructed with the intent of conforming to standards of LEED certification.  The 29,400 square foot facility can be configured for up to 14 rooms for convention, theater, banquet space, trade show space, or classroom activity.

The Salem Conference Center, centrally located between Portland and Eugene, is an ideal venue for meetings, events and conventions.  The Center features:

  • Catering and banquet services
  • Flexible meeting rooms
  • State of the art technology
  • On-site covered parking
  • Located in downtown Salem 
  • Riverfront Park and shopping nearby 

Links

  

Photos

Salem Conference Center - Riverfront Downtown Urban Renewal Area - 2006
   Salem Conference Center

Salem Conference Center - Riverfront Downtown Urban Renewal Area - 2006
   Conference center as viewed from south

 Grand Opening Salem Conference Center - Riverfront Downtown Urban Renewal Area
   Afternoon of Grand Opening 

Staff Contacts

Phil Morris





Emergency
Information


All Urban Development Events

Urban Development Department
350 Commercial St NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-588-6178
Fax: 503-589-2054
urbandev@cityofsalem.net
More Contacts
Urban Renewal Areas
(pdf)

 

Page Last Modified: June 6, 2008

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