Ashland commissioners vote to place conference center on Paramount Arts Center parking lot

The City of Ashland Board of Commissioners voted to place the new conference center on the city‑owned Paramount Arts Center parking lot, approving a motion to build at that site after months of study and public input.

The vote came after commissioners discussed maintenance and operating cost projections, parking and hotel‑room availability, and the size and footprint of each proposed site. The commission motioned to build on the Paramount lot and carried the motion in open session.

Commissioners and the city’s owner representative presented data showing the two primary sites had different projected operating deficits. The analysis used by consultants estimated an initial operating loss of about $270,000 in year one and about $350,000 in year five for the hotel‑adjacent site, compared with an estimated $34,000 loss in year one and about $28,000 in year five for the Paramount parking lot site. Commissioners said those differences were material to their decision because any ongoing shortfall would need to be covered from the city’s general fund.

Commissioners also discussed the volume of community feedback collected online and in person. One commissioner reported approximately 16 written responses were received and summarized those responses as: six favoring the hotel‑adjacent site, two favoring the Paramount site, multiple respondents opposing development near the Paramount, several asking for reconsideration, and several responses from nonresidents. Commissioners said they reviewed those submissions but based their decision on consultant studies and fiscal projections.

AP3, the owner’s representative, and the project architect estimated remaining design work would run through spring 2026 with construction beginning after design completion; the AP3 representative said the team hoped to open the facility by November 2027, and that construction would likely take about 18–22 months.

Speakers at the public comment period urged support for both downtown businesses and arts venues. Several residents who spoke during public participation said they supported co‑locating the conference center near the Paramount because of synergy with arts programming; others asked the commission to preserve parking and minimize downtown disruption.

Commissioners emphasized they had examined site options, run multiple cost and use scenarios, and consulted professionals on projected maintenance and operations. One commissioner said the project represented the largest state earmark the city had received and argued declining the funding would risk losing that state support.

The commission moved forward with the Paramount parking lot site and asked staff and consultants to proceed with design and the next permitting steps. The owner’s representative said the team would finalize design through spring 2026 and target an opening in late 2027.

Background: Commissioners said the topic had been under review by the previous commission and by the current commission for months. Discussion touched on parking capacity in downtown Ashland, the need for additional hotel rooms, and tradeoffs among construction cost, square footage and ongoing operating costs. The commission said it would continue to oversee the project and public engagement as the design advances.