Convention center looks to book larger gatherings

Easing of virus restrictions will allow up to 1,700 people in facility

Gov. Tom Wolf's order easing of COVID-19 restrictions, starting April 4, puts the Blair County Convention Center in a position to book larger indoor gatherings, as long as the facility remains below 25% of maximum occupancy and if social distancing is maintained.

Wolf's current order, in place since March 1, has limited indoor gatherings to 15% of capacity. That followed an order which restricted indoor gatherings to no more than 5% percent capacity.

For the convention center, the increase to 25% means the facility can soon accommodate up to 1,700 people, based on a capacity of 6,780.

Richard Karcher, who chairs the authority overseeing management of the convention center, reported Wednesday to the authority that he and staff recently met with a representative of the state Liquor Control Board to address capacity-related questions.

He said the representative seemed satisfied with how the facility is calculating its capacity. During an authority meeting in the fall, those managing the facility at that time spoke of the options in determining capacity. That led to a consensus in favor of following Liquor Control Board guidelines.

When Wolf reduced indoor gatherings to 5% capacity, the convention center estimated that amount to be about 300. Based on the facility's maximum capacity -- identified at Wednesday's authority meeting as 6,780 -- that put 5% capacity at 339.

"We were erring on the side of caution," Karcher said.

Because of restricted operations, the convention center's lack of business contributed to an anticipated first quarter loss of $66,000, interim operations manager Tom Schilling reported to the authority.

With COVID-19 restrictions easing, there has been interest in booking events, Schilling told the authority. An unanticipated event booked at the end of March, he said, will generate revenue keeping the first quarter loss from being greater than $66,000. About six or seven other events, in addition to two weddings, are now on the facility's schedule, he said.

Convention center authority member Ron Beatty asked about the possibility of the facility qualifying for a COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program grant. The state awarded $1.38 million to the county to help hospitality businesses offset their losses.

The grant program, however, is limited to applicants with less than $15 million in assets, raising an unanswered question as to whether the convention center would qualify.

In the meantime, the convention center authority, using money set aside for capital expenses, authorized about $200,000 in expenditures. That included $72,592 for the authority's share of a stormwater improvement project that the county undertook last year to address drainage at the intersection of Convention Center Boulevard and Convention Center Drive.

The approval also included several bills associated with rooftop upgrades to the facility's heating ventilating and air conditioning system and for heating tank improvements and insulation.

Authority Vice Chairman Jamie Van Buren referred to the capital expenses as examples of "why we need money in the bank, why we need the bed tax."

A portion of Blair County's bed tax, paid by those who stay at lodging facilities in the county, is allocated to the convention center for its operations.

Van Buren also commented that based on the building's appearance, it's "tough to imagine that there's $200,000 worth of things behind these walls that need to be fixed." But the building is getting older, and that translates into things wearing out, he said.

Karcher agreed with Van Buren's assessments.

"This building is not going to run on small change," Karcher said.

In 2015, the authority reviewed a 10-year plan for an estimated $5 million in capital improvements. They included heating and cooling upgrades, carpeting, kitchen equipment and other recommendations proposed by former CEO Barry Kumpf, some of which have been realized. The 10-year plan excluded the cost of a new roof because of a warranty valid through 2028, based on Kumpf's report.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.