Crews have broken ground on a new plaza in downtown Cincinnati that will provide both a flexible bonus venue for the renovated Duke Energy Convention Center, as well as a space for public use and community programming.
Elm Street Plaza, located on the 500 block of Elm Street, which is now permanently closed to vehicular traffic, is the next phase in the $700-million project to reimagine downtown’s Convention District. The project will transform the block, as well as the vacant site of the former Millennium Hotel, into a flexible, two-acre outdoor venue with both a paved event space and vegetated landscape, and it will also provide a pedestrian connection to the convention center’s first-floor exhibit halls.
The plaza will feature a pavilion structure, restrooms and a bar for socializing and refreshments. These designs and amenities will allow the convention center to expand its usable space outside, a necessity in the growing convention world, says 3CDC's vice president of development, Katie Westbrook.
"When sourcing venues for meetings and conventions, whether large or small, meeting planners aren't just looking for more space; they are looking for unique and flexible space. Elm Street Plaza will play a major role in attracting and retaining revenue-driving convention business, benefiting the urban core and the Greater Cincinnati region,” Westbrook said in a press release.
Elm Street Plaza will be open to the public when not being used by convention clients. Current design plans include amenities like a dog park, an interactive water feature, public art and even the possibility of housing downtown’s winter ice skating rink in the future. 3CDC will manage the community programming at the space and says it is actively collecting feedback on potential programs and events through community engagement sessions.
Construction on the plaza is expected to be completed in late 2025. The convention center, renovations for which began in July, plans to reopen in 2026. The Convention District reimagination also includes a new convention headquarters hotel, which is slated to break ground in the first quarter of 2025, and several mixed-use development projects on key properties in the surrounding area.
