Report: NKY Convention Center expansion could bring $18 million more to region

As the Duke Energy Convention Center prepares for a renovation, Northern Kentucky is eyeing an expansion for its own center — but the goal isn't for the two to compete with each other.

Julie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of MeetNKY, said their convention center brings in thousands of visitors each year. Those visitors bring their business to nearby hotels, restaurants and retail spaces.

“We usually will get one crowd and are like, ‘Oh, that’s a lot.’ And then all of a sudden our entire bar and restaurant and patio is filled," said Alex Steele, a bartender at Molly Malone's.

The Irish pub and restaurant is two blocks away from the Northern Kentucky Convention Center.

A manager at Honey Uninhibited, right across the street from the center, said it has been "excellent for business."

Kirkpatrick said they want to continue to grow that impact.

“We want to compete better with convention centers our size across the country. In order to do that, we do need to make an investment in the center," she said.

A study from the consulting firm CSL said if the convention center makes no changes, the amount of money being spent in the region because of the convention center would drop, from roughly $19 million a year to roughly $16.5 million a year. But the investment would lead to roughly $18 million more spent a year in Northern Kentucky.

"We're looking at the convention center right now in a five-year window and also in a 20-year window," Kirkpatrick said.

In the near term, upgrades could include more modern exteriors and more use of outdoor space. She said this could include land the City of Covington reserved for the convention center at the former IRS site .

Looking at the next 20 years, Kirkpatrick said the focus is on the community around the convention center, including finishing the Covington Central Riverfront project, the Brent Spence Bridge Project and adding more hotels.

To those nearby businesses, the plans are a positive.

"We're ready for the crowds and we're excited to meet new people that come in," Steele said.

MeetNKY plans to release initial designs for renovations later this year, then solidify plans to fund the expansion and set a construction timeline.