Convention center
98% done, builder reports

Bookings are increasing,
and a manager may be named soon

By Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin

With the Hawaii Convention Center more than 98 percent complete, 30 out-of-state conventions are booked and there are another 14 "verbal definites" and 43 tentative bookings, according to the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau.

The design-build team, Nordic/PCL Joint Venture, is scheduled to finish the project Oct. 8, unless some last-minute city approvals get delayed. That will be a month ahead of the Nov. 7 completion date called for in the contract signed three years ago.

The updates came yesterday at one of the last meetings of the Convention Center Authority board before the finished $200 million building is delivered to the state.

"Basically, the design is complete and it's just a matter of looking at it now to ensure compliance," said architect Ty Sutton, head of the design committee.

"At the end of August, construction was 98.3 percent complete," said Armand Cote, resident engineer at the convention authority.

City building inspectors must sign off on the completed project and while convention center officials said there is a possibility of some bureaucratic delays, they expect such final approvals to be routine.

Dennis Smith, manager of construction operations of Nordic/PCL, said street lane markings and traffic lights are in place, with some testing still to be done on a signal at Atkinson Drive and Kahakai Street.

The convention center still does not have a general manager to replace Lynn Thompson, who resigned at the end of July. However, the authority board went into an executive session to discuss a pending appointment. Officials said they hope to name a manager later this week.

The center is managed by a professional convention center and arena management company based in Philadelphia, Spectacor Management Group, but SMG works for a fee plus expenses so hiring and salaries of executives are subject to Convention Center Authority approval.

The board yesterday also introduced Debra Thompson-Benton, a veteran of Hawaii hotel and convention catering management, as its new director of food and beverage. The center expects to have about 100 full-time employees when it officially opens in mid-1998 and hire up to 300 or 400 for big events.

The delay of 10 months from completion to official opening is to allow the management and staff time to test every aspect of the center so they will be prepared for the first major convention. However, some events may be held before the official opening, more or less as a test.

The first confirmed big convention is for the American Dental Association in October 1999, with 30,000 guests. The next one that size is Lions International in June 2000.