Monroeville Convention Center to stay open; officials working on transition plan
The Monroeville Convention Center will remain open, local leaders announced.
The convention center was set to become a retail space later this year, but officials announced there were “successful discussions” with Hobby Lobby and Oxford Development Company to ensure convention center operations will continue.
>>> Monroeville Convention Center to turn into retail space; some previously scheduled events canceled
Public officials reportedly provided Hobby Lobby and Oxford with information about the convention center’s importance to the community after the announcement of the facility’s closure— and after review, both organizations decided to pursue termination of their lease at this location.
Officials say outreach will begin soon to vendors of shows slated on June 1 or later in 2024, hoping that they will have their events at MCC as originally planned.
Tuesday evening, Monroeville Mayor Nick Gresock told Channel 11 that 38 of the 40 shows that were canceled have already agreed to come back.
Several stakeholders, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Allegheny County and the Municipality of Monroeville, have committed to a transition plan for the convention center.
Under this plan, the convention center will operate as a “long-term community asset” under a community or government-based ownership structure, or a government-backed lease. Officials say plan details are still being formulated.
The group of elected officials who participated in negotiations released a joint statement celebrating the continued presence of the convention center in the community.
“The Monroeville Convention Center is saved! We are happy to announce that the MCC will continue to welcome tens of thousands of visitors each year, supporting hundreds of local jobs and generating millions in economic activity.
“Today’s announcement is the result of several weeks of discussions, including information sharing about the MCC’s large impact. We want to thank Hobby Lobby and Oxford for their sincere effort to reach a positive outcome. Everybody at the table worked behind the scenes to deliver a result that will see the MCC become a properly owned and funded community asset.”
Monroeville Mayor Nick Gresock also released a statement offering gratitude to those who helped save the convention center. It reads:
“On behalf of myself and the residents of Monroeville, I want to offer my gratitude to Hobby Lobby and Oxford. I also want to recognize the state, county and local officials who worked together to save the Convention Center and secure today’s announcement. Thank you!”
Channel 11 News spoke with one relieved business owner.
“We have been here a long time. To leave here would be sad, you know,” said Tammy Bertera, the co-owner of Nick Marie’s Esta Esta Restaurant.
Nick Marie’s Esta Esta Restaurant has been located along William Penn Highway since 1955 and over the years they’ve grown to rely on the business that the Monroeville Convention Center generates.
“The convention center is huge to us; with the gun show, the comic con, the coin shows all those shows bring us a lot of business,” Bertera said.
Last month when it was announced the Convention Center would close in May and reopen as a hobby lobby retail store. Co-owner Tammy Bertera said she was blind-sided, and when the Double Tree Hotel shut its doors a few weeks later, she said it was a gut punch.
“We’ve been here a long time we want to stay as long as we can. We are not ready to close up shop, it just gets scary when everything around you is closing, Bertera said. “My husband kept saying we’ll make it, we’ll survive, [we] will just have to generate new business,” Bertera said.
Bertera says she’s already hearing from vendors.
“The show people are already texting me today saying hooray we are not going to lose you because they all come here to eat we are the last standing family restaurant, and people love our food,” Bertera said.
As for the Double Tree Hotel next door, which closed its doors last week following the fallout, the mayor said he’s confident that’ll soon become another hotel.
“We’ve had investors and operators look at the hotel last week, and just today, we had five different investment/operator groups that wanted to look at the hotel,” Gresock said.
There are some details that are still being worked out, including who will operate the convention center. The mayor said he’s working on finding a long term situation so this doesn’t happen again.
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