Phila. tries to lure 2000 conventions

Both Democrats and Republicans are considering the city. Officials hoping to bring a major political convention to Philadelphia welcomed the Democratic Party site selection committee to the city Tuesday, just days after a similar visit by a Republican team. Both parties are considering the city -- along with about a half-dozen other finalists -- as the site of their nominating conventions for the 2000 elections. The stakes are high: conventions generate huge amounts of money for their host cities and are seen as a surefire way of improving each city's image on the national stage. As a result, Philadelphia is offering the Republican convention $35 million in public and private cash and in-kind donations such as the use of city facilities. The package for the Democratic convention is similar. The Democratic committee had originally planned to visit the city in June, but canceled that trip when faced with the prospect of having to cross Transport Workers Union picket lines during the summer's acrimonious SEPTA strike. This time around, TWU organizers canceled plans to disrupt the visit after speaking with several committee members. So Philadelphia, one of seven finalists for the convention -- Boston, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Miami and Denver are the others -- put on its best face to woo the Democratic Party politicos. "We're looking for an American success story," said Joe Andrew, the chairperson of the Democratic National Committee Site Selection Advisory Committee. "Philadelphia is one of the success stories of the last six years." Such a success story, in fact, that both parties are considering the city as the site for their 2000 conventions. The Republican committee wound up its second visit to Philadelphia September 10. New Orleans is the only other finalist being considered by both parties. The other contenders for the Republican convention are San Antonio, New York and Indianapolis. Neither committee has officially ruled out having both conventions in the same city. But Andrew noted that both parties' specifications, sent to cities wishing to make bids, state that a city chosen by one party would be taken out of contention by the other. Philadelphia prides itself on scenic neighborhoods, historic buildings and cultural attractions. But Democratic committee members spent much of yesterday touring the city's hotels, one of their key concerns. Philadelphia has long been handicapped by its relative lack of downtown hotel rooms, but the city has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of available rooms in recent years. At present, 13 hotels are under construction in the area, raising Philadelphia well above the baseline for either convention. Several of the new hotels are being built to accommodate visitors to Philadelphia's new convention center; others to meet demand spurred by the current economic boom. The committee's other concerns include gauging each city's transportation capabilities, the number and types of venues available for entertaining convention-goers and the package of incentives offered by each city.