Phila. to up hotel space

the move is part of a big effort to draw potitical conventions in 2000. Make no mistake about it: A major political convention in Philadelphia in the year 2000 would mean $100 million in revenue, a boost for the city's profile and a big influx in tourism dollars. With an eye to such potential benefits, city officials are doing everything they can to lure the Democrats, the Republicans or both to Philadelphia. But crucial to the attempts to attract such conventions in the summer of 2000 is the city's guarantee that there will be enough hotel space to accommodate the 35,000 visitors and members of the media the events would draw. That explains officials' rallying cry these days: "2,000 by the year 2000," a slogan indicating the need to build 2,000 more hotel rooms within the next two years. Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell has charged the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp., an economic-development group, with the task of making sure those hotel rooms materialize. And although the city has large plans currently underway to create at least 3,000 more hotel rooms by 2000, two major projects -- the construction of a 350-room Hyatt Hotel at Penn's Landing and the conversion of the Loews PSFS building at 12th and Market streets to a 600-room hotel -- are facing unexpected delays. But city officials involved in Philadelphia 2000, the organization in charge of attracting the conventions to the city, said the delays will not harm Philadelphia's chances of hosting both parties' politicians in the same year, a feat the city has not accomplished since 1948. "We have more than enough hotels to accommodate delegates, attendees and the press," said Kevin Feeley, a spokesperson for Rendell. The two parties differ in how they will determine the host site. The Democratic National Committee will send out an official "request for proposal" in March, to which city officials need to respond by April. The DNC will then send out a site-selection team to scope out the city for three days. Officials will choose the 2000 convention site by September of this year. The Republican National Committee, however, has already issued a "request for proposal." The city must respond by April 24, and the party's site visit will occur by June. But the official decision will not be made until January 1999. Penn's Landing Corp. Vice President Jim Cuorato said the Hyatt project on the Delaware River has been delayed because the developer is rearranging the hotel's financing. But he still expects the Hyatt to be ready before the summer of 2000. Rendell's former chief of staff David Cohen -- who is co-chairing Philadelphia 2000 -- said, however, that he does not believe the hotel projects are facing any delays. The hotels are scheduled to open at the end of 1999, and "that was the same schedule announced two years ago," he added. Several other hotels currently under construction include the 370-room Grand Bay Hotel on Broad Street; the 210-room expansion of the Philadelphia Marriott into the Reading Terminal Headhouse at 12th and Market streets; the Hawthorn Suites Convention Center Hotel at 11th and Vine streets; the 280-room Hilton Garden Hotel on 11th and Arch streets; and the 500-room Marriott Courtyard to be built on 13th and Filbert streets. The economic impact of luring one or both political conventions to Philadelphia would translate into about $100 million in revenue for the city, according to Feeley, who said that "it's one of the most powerful and lucrative conventions the city could have. "But more important is the kind of exposure a city like Philadelphia could get from hosting one of the political conventions -- in terms of increasing our visibility, it is a bonanza for the city," Feeley added, stressing the conventions' ability to increase tourism in Philadelphia. To some, the idea of hosting political conventions would be a symbol of Philadelphia's "arrival" as a city. According to Philadelphia 2000 Executive Director Karen Bucholtz, the city has many things going for it -- including the CoreStates Center arena, prominent political leaders and a vibrant cultural life -- which should appear attractive to both the Democratic and Republican site selection committees. "There are two main reasons for doing this: for economic development and for tourism," Bucholtz said. "It's really an opportunity to showcase the city."

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