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COMPLETE: Dunkin' Donuts Center renovations


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can we pretty much consider it to look and feel almost brand new?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pretty much. All new seats, all new restrooms, all new concessions, all new facade, new scoreboard... It's going to be The Dunk v2.0. :)

PS: The sign out front said it was 112 today. :lol:

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Some interesting math I did for another thread in the Hartford section:

Not to turn this further into a Providence vs. Hartford thread than it already is (though a healthy rivalry might be good for both cities), I crunched a few numbers on both cities convention centers.

Connecticut Convention Center

205,000 sq.ft.

409 hotel rooms in attached Marriott Hotel

Rhode Island Convention Center

137,000 sq.ft.

364 hotel rooms in attached Westin Providence Hotel

However, Providence has a few interesting tricks up it's sleeve...

The state and city are finalizing a deal for the state to take contol of the city's civic center (The Dunkin Donuts Center) which buts up against the convention center. Plans call for connecting the two making for a combined exhibition space of approx. 240,000 sq.ft. (based on a press release about the boat show which was spread across the two facilities).

There are also two hotel expansion plans slated for this year. A second tower is slated to add 200 more rooms to the Westin. A new hotel with 250 rooms is planned for a parcel across from the convention center with a skybridge attaching it.

Expansions to the Hoiday Inn which sits beside the Dunkin Donuts Center and may be connected to the Dunk may add more directly connected rooms. The Holiday Inn will become a Hilton and add 40 rooms to it's current 275.

This could all bring the horse race to the following numbers:

Connecticut Convention Center

205,000 sq.ft.

409 hotel rooms in attached Marriot Hotel

Rhode Island Convention Center

240,000 sq.ft.

up to 1,129* hotel rooms in 3 attached hotels

This does not include the unattached Marriott Courtyard, Providence Renaissance Hotel, Providence Marriott, Biltmore Hotel, and Hotel Providence.

(*I had to do that math twice, that's more than I thought).

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Some interesting math I did for another thread in the Hartford section:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is no Hartford-Providence rivalry.... it is not in the same class as Providence, does not really share the same demographics, cultural/economic base, or geography.

The rivalry to watch is Boston-Providence...all the ingredients are there if the leaders of Providence are bold. You are just seeing the beginning.

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There is no Hartford-Providence rivalry.... it is not in the same class as Providence, does not really share the same demographics, cultural/economic base, or geography.

The rivalry to watch is Boston-Providence...all the ingredients are there if the leaders of Providence are bold. You are just seeing the beginning.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I remember reading somewhere that when we were planing to build the RICC and attached garage and hotel Boston was critizing us, although I'm not sure if it was just the Boston Globe or not. I've been searching for this article/editorial for years with no luck. I really want to see that article, so if anyone has it.................

I've always wondered if it was just jealousy since at the time Boston only had the Haines Auditorium for conventions and trade shows. Now of course they have a new convention center which will probably blow ours away. We must remain competative. Low hotel room rates play a big part of the equation, as does there closeness to the convention center. I may be wrong, but dosen't the new Boston CC have only one hotel that's attached in the area?

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I remember reading somewhere that when we were planing to build the RICC and attached garage and hotel Boston was critizing us, although I'm not sure if it was just the Boston Globe or not. I've been searching for this article/editorial for years with no luck. I really want to see that article, so if anyone has it.................

I've always wondered if it was just jealousy since at the time Boston only had the Haines Auditorium for conventions and trade shows. Now of course they have a new convention center which will probably blow ours away. We must remain competative. Low hotel room rates play a big part of the equation, as does there closeness to the convention center. I may be wrong, but dosen't the new Boston CC have only one hotel that's attached in the area?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If I recall, the Boston CC is enormous... Just huge. I don't know how many hotels are attached, but it's only a block or so away from the Copley Sq area, so there's good local hotel coverage.

- Garris

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If I recall, the Boston CC is enormous...  Just huge.  I don't know how many hotels are attached, but it's only a block or so away from the Copley Sq area, so there's good local hotel coverage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It's nowhere near Copley, that's the Hynes Convention Center, the new convention center is on the South Boston Waterfront. There are currently no hotels attached to the new Convention Center, though one is under construction, and there is one nearby at the World Trade Center. All the hotel space is near the Hynes.

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It's nowhere near Copley, that's the Hynes Convention Center, the new convention center is on the South Boston Waterfront. There are currently no hotels attached to the new Convention Center, though one is under construction, and there is one nearby at the World Trade Center. All the hotel space is near the Hynes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thank you. I was just about ready to post that very same message :blush:

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It's nowhere near Copley, that's the Hynes Convention Center, the new convention center is on the South Boston Waterfront. There are currently no hotels attached to the new Convention Center, though one is under construction, and there is one nearby at the World Trade Center. All the hotel space is near the Hynes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah, darn, that's right... Ok, I'm never posting on Boston again... I obviously don't know it well enough... That Hynes CC is huge, though...

- Garris

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The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center more than doubled in fiscal year 2005 the number of bookings for future conventions and trade shows, according to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. There were 51 future conventions and trade shows scheduled for the convention center in South Boston -- up from 21 events booked in fiscal year 2004. Another 45 events were booked for the Hynes Convention Center in the Back Bay, one less than last year. The bookings will result in 826,000 hotel room nights and an expected $303 million dollars in economic activity for Boston

From today's Boston Globe

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

"PBN: Was there consideration to level The Dunk and build a new arena?

Duffy: It was fantasized, but a new arena would probably cost $150 million. And we believe for the $60 million, Rhode Island will get a state-of-the-art arena that will last a good 15 to 20 years."

Good to see we're going to get a nice, long use out of it... :rolleyes:

- Garris

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  • 2 weeks later...
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They are finally listening to my advice! So we lost two months for nothing :blink:

Cripes!! You think the City of Providence would just be glad to be rid of it!! I realize they dont want to give it a way but c'mon it's a burden off their annual budget... Just do the freakin deal already! :w00t:

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