Plano Centre renovations budget[/caption]
The Plano City Council at a Sept. 14 regular meeting approved the city’s $496 million operating budget for 2015-16. The budget includes approximately $1 million for the renovations to Plano Centre.The funds come from the city’s capital reserve fund and will be used for landscaping, exterior lighting and improving the center’s parking lot, said Amy Fortenberry, Plano Parks and Recreation Department director.
Funds are already in place for internal renovations, which are expected to begin in December and are expected to be completed by May. Exterior landscaping and work on the parking lot could begin later next year, Fortenberry said. Not much has been done to the center since it opened in 1990. “The age of the facility makes it a good time to upgrade [and] update,” Plano Centre General Manager Mark Jarrell said. “The facility is just dated.”
In 2012, council members approved $2.5 million for renovating the center’s 122,000 square-foot interior, Jarrell said. Interior enhancements include updating audio-visual equipment, new furniture, carpeting and energy-efficient lights.
Fortenberry said the department is requesting nearly $4 million that would be spread out over a period of three years to help renovate its grounds as well. The venue will also be renamed the Plano Event Center as part of the face-lift, said Jarrell, who said the new name will explain its purpose better. “The word ‘centre’ sends the message that we are an arts center,” he said.
In 2014, Plano Centre recovered 40 percent of its total expenditures. This year, the cost recovery rate is approximately 53 percent and is expected to hover near 60 percent in 2016, Jarrell said.
The center is booked on weekends about six months in advance, Jarrell said. Its customers include companies like Texas Instruments as well as small businesses like Divine Consign resale shop in Plano. The shop rents a space at Plano Centre twice a year to host its fall and spring sales events, co-owner Stephanie Scott said.“We moved in to Plano Centre 10 years ago. Now we rent the whole building for the first three days [of our events],” Scott said. Conference and trade show organizers typically prefer locations near or in hotels where guests can stay overnight, Jarrell said. Embassy Suites Frisco is one such popular venue. Fortenberry said the renovations may open opportunities for hotels in the area. Converting the center into a facility with hotel rooms would also increase the center’s appeal, she said.
Plano Centre renovations budget[/caption]
The Plano City Council at a Sept. 14 regular meeting approved the city’s $496 million operating budget for 2015-16. The budget includes approximately $1 million for the renovations to Plano Centre.The funds come from the city’s capital reserve fund and will be used for landscaping, exterior lighting and improving the center’s parking lot, said Amy Fortenberry, Plano Parks and Recreation Department director.
Funds are already in place for internal renovations, which are expected to begin in December and are expected to be completed by May. Exterior landscaping and work on the parking lot could begin later next year, Fortenberry said. Not much has been done to the center since it opened in 1990. “The age of the facility makes it a good time to upgrade [and] update,” Plano Centre General Manager Mark Jarrell said. “The facility is just dated.”
In 2012, council members approved $2.5 million for renovating the center’s 122,000 square-foot interior, Jarrell said. Interior enhancements include updating audio-visual equipment, new furniture, carpeting and energy-efficient lights.
Fortenberry said the department is requesting nearly $4 million that would be spread out over a period of three years to help renovate its grounds as well. The venue will also be renamed the Plano Event Center as part of the face-lift, said Jarrell, who said the new name will explain its purpose better. “The word ‘centre’ sends the message that we are an arts center,” he said.
In 2014, Plano Centre recovered 40 percent of its total expenditures. This year, the cost recovery rate is approximately 53 percent and is expected to hover near 60 percent in 2016, Jarrell said.
The center is booked on weekends about six months in advance, Jarrell said. Its customers include companies like Texas Instruments as well as small businesses like Divine Consign resale shop in Plano. The shop rents a space at Plano Centre twice a year to host its fall and spring sales events, co-owner Stephanie Scott said.“We moved in to Plano Centre 10 years ago. Now we rent the whole building for the first three days [of our events],” Scott said. Conference and trade show organizers typically prefer locations near or in hotels where guests can stay overnight, Jarrell said. Embassy Suites Frisco is one such popular venue. Fortenberry said the renovations may open opportunities for hotels in the area. Converting the center into a facility with hotel rooms would also increase the center’s appeal, she said.
