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Committee debates whether Sandy should aim for conference space or phased hotel growth
Summary
Members debated whether Sandy can support larger meeting/conference facilities or should pursue phased hotel builds. Some advocated for a smaller, multipurpose meeting space plus phased 90-room hotel growth; others cautioned that a large convention center would be risky absent clear market demand.
Committee discussion shifted from the hotel study into how meeting and conference space might change demand capture. Members noted a countywide shortage of mid-size conference facilities and argued a smaller, multiuse meeting space could be a more realistic and useful starting point than a single, large convention center. One committee member referenced prior local experience seeking spaces for gatherings and suggested that even a 100–400-person meeting venue could attract events that would increase hotel occupancy and restaurant spending in town.
Others cautioned about risk and seasonality: outdoor-hospitality concepts tend to be seasonal and attract weekend leisure travelers rather than business travel, while larger conference facilities typically require far more rooms (some members referenced 300+ rooms as a threshold for large conventions). The discussion concluded with suggestions to study convention-center market capture, consider phased hotel development tied to potential meeting space, and pursue site-selection options that preserve good highway access and views.
