TOLEDO, Ohio — ProMedica on Monday said it is committing a gift to the Toledo-Lucas County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to support the planned redevelopment of the current SeaGate Convention Centre and ballroom addition.
The lead gift from ProMedica is $5 million, which will be submitted in installments of $333,333 annually over 15 years.
"As an anchor institution in Toledo, we think it’s important to continue to support projects that help our community thrive -- especially since thriving communities support overall health and well-being,” said Robin Whitney, Chief Strategic Planning, Business Development and Real Estate Officer, with ProMedica.
“The updated convention center is expected to significantly boost the economic impact from visitors and have a meaningful impact on the community as a whole. We are proud to be among those organizations helping to support this important project,” Whitney added.
Lucas County Commissioners pointed out the benefits of the partnership and said they were pleased with the announcement.
"People want to go where there's things to do. If you come to a convention you want to have stuff to do, so now lets take it to the next level" Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken said. "This is something we've never had in our community before. If we're going to really up our game and attract people to come to Toledo. We have so much to attract people to come here now that we didn't have ten years ago, but we have to add something else to our piece."
The President of the Board of Lucas County Commissioners Skeldon Wozniak highlighted the advancements the new-renovated development will bring to the area.
"The SeaGate Centre improvements and ballroom and the new Hyatt Hotel that will be connected to the convention center will take us to the next level by creating a state-of-the-art venue for hosting local, regional, and national events and meetings,” she said.
Additionally, Commissioner Gary Byers said the county is looking forward to work in this project with ProMedica.
“Lucas County has effectively utilized naming rights to enhance collaborations with community partners and offset the costs of project such as in the Huntington Center and Fifth Third Field. We look forward to this partnership with ProMedica on this exciting project that will improve the quality of life for residents and spur continued investment in the region," he said.
In conjunction with the gift, the Toledo-Lucas County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has granted ProMedica the exclusive right to name the convention center. As of yet, ProMedica has not decided upon a name, but the new name will be announced by the end of the year.
Construction on the convention center and ballroom is expected to begin in spring 2020 and be completed in the first half of 2021.