Memphis’ Convention Conversation

Memphis, Tenn., Mayor A.C. Wharton Jr. is making a push for a $600 million new convention center.

Though the current Cook Convention Center underwent renovations in 2005, Wharton hopes a new facility would help the city stay competitive for meetings and conferences.

“This is not something that we have to look at strictly in terms of how much are you going to spend on it,” Wharton said, according to the Memphis Daily News. “We have to look at it in terms of how much are you willing to invest to keep one of our strongest economic engines viable.”

He added that he remains realistic about what might happen if a new convention center is built, however.

“If you build a new one, what will happen to the one that you now have?” he said. “I don’t want to get into another position similar to the one we got into with the Pyramid.”

The city’s iconic Pyramid Arena became an afterthought in 2007 after the FedExForum was built and the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies and University of Memphis basketball games were moved to the new venue.

Concerts and other events followed suit, as city-owned facilities had to get the OK from the Grizzlies, which operates the FedExForum, to host competing major events.