Ramada Oasis to expand convention center

The Ramada Oasis Hotel & Convention Center, 2546 N. Glenstone Ave., plans to begin construction in October to add roughly 13,000 square feet to its convention center, which currently has more than 21,000 square feet of space.

The project will add three meeting/banquet rooms that could each accommodate up to 250 guests, with a new air-wall system allowing the rooms to open into the current convention center space. With the addition, the convention center could accommodate up to 1,300 guests for banquet events and up to 1,800 guests for meetings. The renovation also will include an enclosed walkway attaching the convention center to the hotel, according to a news release.

"This is great news in light of the fact that Springfield has limited meeting space for larger groups,” said Tracy Kimberlin, president of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, in the release. “Springfield is facing stiff competition from other cities that are building or have recently built convention centers. This will allow us to host more than one large group simultaneously.”

Robert Low, owner of the Ramada Oasis Hotel & Convention Center, has chosen Killian Construction as general contractor and Slone Architects as lead architect for the project.

The project is scheduled for completion in May 2012 and already has group contracts for the center beginning in June 2012, according to Missy Handyside, general manager.

Costs associated with the project were not disclosed in the release, and officials could not be reached by deadline.[[In-content Ad]]