Norm Wesley, Delta Marriott representative, presented the Delta Marriott proposal to the Convention Center Committee, saying the team would attach a new convention facility to the existing 185‑room Delta Marriott and that the site could deliver about 63,000 square feet of convention and conference space when combined with the hotel’s existing meeting rooms. "We will absolutely support it, and we will do whatever it takes to collaborate and make this convention center a tremendous success," Wesley said.

The proposal described two development scenarios. In scenario A the convention facility would attach to the north wing of the Delta Marriott and connect directly to a proposed parking garage; in scenario B the new space would connect to the hotel’s existing 23,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 15,000‑square‑foot Crystal Ballroom. Dave Ekman, partner with Bridge Hospitality, said the team modeled a parking garage sized at roughly 400–500 vehicles and said paid parking and a possible TIF or similar instrument could help fund it, subject to city cooperation.

Why it matters: the Delta team emphasized hotel‑convention integration as a booking priority for planners, arguing that having a full‑service hotel physically connected to the convention space and an existing cluster of hotels within walking distance helps attract larger citywide events. "Having Marriott as the flag ... brings access to a global audience and a very loyal base of planners and business travelers," Matteo Leslie, a member of the presenting team, said.

What the proposal would deliver: the presenters said their plan could provide flexible, modern meeting space on a single floor with the option for a second floor later, pre‑function areas, back‑of‑house delivery/loading, and a secondary 4,000‑square‑foot kitchen to supplement the hotel’s existing 6,000‑square‑foot kitchen. The team estimated a construction cost roughly in the ballpark of industry norms they cited (examples in discussion ranged from about $800 to $1,000+ per square foot), and they said they had modeled a rough $40 million target construction budget while acknowledging the budget would require value engineering and further financial work in later rounds.

Finance and operations: the Delta team proposed separating a below‑market land lease from the capital budget so land cost would be treated in operating expenses rather than the $40 million construction figure. They described a flexible operating approach in which Delta/National Hospitality Services would operate food and beverage and potentially other services, but they said they were open to outside vendors under quality standards. Wesley and Ekman said the hotel group could provide operating cash cushions and partner with lenders, and that the proposal included modeling of a revenue share for food and beverage rather than a fixed operating obligation.

Questions and limits: Commissioner Pepporn pressed the presenters on kitchen sizes, land control and lease terms, and expandability; the team confirmed the Delta currently operates a 185‑room full‑service hotel, controls the site land, and proposed a below‑market land lease to reduce up‑front land cost to public funding. Presenters said the project could expand upward or across contiguous land in the future, and they acknowledged that achieving the full square footage targets identified in the RFP would require additional financial engineering. Mayor Charlie and others asked whether parking would be developer‑funded and for how long a TIF or pilot might run; the presenters said those specifics would be developed in later stages and that paid parking and a financing instrument would likely be needed to support a structured parking garage.

Booking and CVB coordination: presenters said they expect to work closely with the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) on booking priority and windows. Leslie explained that the hotel’s current booking window (typically one month to two years for hotel business) differs from the CVB’s booking cycles for larger conventions (often two to four years), and the team argued that timeline differences could be coordinated to reduce conflicts between hotel functions and convention bookings.

What was not decided: the committee received the Delta team’s conceptual plan and Q&A; no formal direction, motion, or vote occurred during the meeting.

Ending note: the Delta Marriott presentation closed with the team offering to supply more detailed architectural and financial modeling if they advance to a later round, and the committee moved on to the next proposer after the Q&A period.