A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable..
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: July 13, 2025 @ 9:00 pm
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ASHLAND ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” The site for the planned Ashland Convention Center has changed from adjacent to the Delta hotel to adjacent to the Paramount Arts Center.
The board voted earlier this week to move the site a block away for several reasons, including a $7 million difference in cost and an increased size for a ballroom to entice state or even national conventions, said Mayor Chuck Charles.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œA bigger ballroom will allow more opportunities for state and even national conventions. And for local use, too,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ he said.
City Commissioner Richard ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œSonnyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Martin said he initially was committed to a site on the corner of 14th Street and Winchester Avenue due to the $2 million cost of tearing down the former cost of the former Ashland Oil building adjacent to the hotel.
However, a study by the architectural firm of AP3 compared the two sites and found it would cost more with that site, Charles said.
Plans for the new convention center in the 1300 block of Winchester Avenue should be completed by the end of the year and construction could start in early 2026, Martin said. The construction will take an estimated 18 to 22 months, he said.
The site adjacent to the Paramount would allow construction of an 11,500-square-foot ballroom there compared to only 6,500 square feet at the former Ashland Oil site, Martin said.
Another factor was the cost to operate the two sites, ranging from $270,000 to $350,000 year at the Ashland Oil site and $34,848 to $28,074 adjacent to the Paramount over a five-year period, Martin said.
The city of Ashland owns the Paramount and will own the convention center. The Ashland Board of City Commissioners approved the change by a 5-0 vote during a meeting earlier this week, Charles said.
The city also will have access to three additional parcels adjacent to the Paramount to help with development of the convention center, Martin said.
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