Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Commerce & Economic Development committee backs broader task force to study a Vermont convention center
Summary
Committee members, joined by Brett Long of the Department of Economic Development, discussed creating a task force to study the value and logistics of a state convention center, agreed to revise membership language to specify agency commissioners or designees, and asked staff to consider regional capacity, transportation and funding questions.
The Commerce & Economic Development Committee discussed forming a task force to evaluate whether Vermont should pursue a convention center and how to coordinate statewide assets to host larger conferences.
Brett Long, interim commissioner of the Department of Economic Development, told the committee that the issue has come to the department’s attention after the captive insurance industry association (BCIA) signaled it might move its conference out of state. “They've actually talked about moving their conference out of state, which we obviously would not like to see happen,” Long said, adding that the department supports an investigation into a convention center.
Committee members said the task force should look beyond a single building and examine related capacity: hotel rooms, transportation, parking, and other infrastructure needed to host large events. A member said the group should “look at the whole enchilada,” urging the panel to include regional planning and development input so local assets can be…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
