The Monroeville Convention Center won’t be closing after all.
Monroeville officials said Tuesday afternoon the national arts and crafts retailer Hobby Lobby and Pittsburgh-based Oxford Development, which owns the convention center, have “mutually agreed to pursue termination of their lease agreement.”
That agreement, announced in mid-February, would have terminated the convention center’s lease June 1 to make way for Hobby Lobby. Monroeville Mayor Nick Gresock said the move took Monroeville officials by surprise.
It also caught show organizers off guard, sending them scrambling to find new venues for summer expo shows such as Steel City Con and the Pittsburgh Gaming Expo.
A news release issued Tuesday by Monroeville said officials from the municipality, state, Allegheny County and local tourism promoter Visit Monroeville collaborated to come up with a transition plan for the convention center.
“This plan will allow the transition of the Monroeville Convention Center to operate as a long-term community asset under either a new community- or government-based ownership structure or a government-backed lease,” the release said. “Formation of the plan is ongoing.”
At a news conference Tuesday evening, Gresock said what those plans entail has yet to be determined.
The mayor said organizers for 38 of the 40 shows booked from June through the end of the year have agreed to hold their shows at the center. The convention center was going to honor all shows booked through May, he said.
Going hand-in-hand with keeping the convention center open is finding a buyer for the DoubleTree hotel near the Monroeville mall. Gresock said interested buyers already have toured the hotel and five more are scheduled to view the property.
Hotel owners last month announced they were closing the property because of financial considerations.
Gresock said the convention center attracted 400,000 visitors last year and was responsible 20,000 hotel stays.
The mayor said he was joined by Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, state legislators and Allegheny County officials at a Feb. 21 meeting with Oxford officials. There, the government leaders told Oxford that the convention center’s potential closure would adversely affect Monroeville’s economy.
“On behalf of myself and the residents of Monroeville, I want to offer my gratitude to Hobby Lobby and Oxford. I also want to recognize the state, county and local officials who worked together to save the Convention Center and secure today’s announcement,” Gresock said.
Hobby Lobby and Oxford could not immediately be reached.
“This process is an example of how leaders should lead in our region,” said state Rep. Nick Pisciottano, D-West Mifflin. “Rather than making public statements to attribute blame, our elected officials rolled up their sleeves and collaborated to address the issue.”
Related:
• Efforts to save Monroeville Convention Center reach lieutenant governor's office
• 'Are you sitting down?': Couple loses wedding reception venue after Monroeville DoubleTree closure
• DoubleTree by Hilton hotel next to Monroeville Convention Center to close
• Monroeville Convention Center will close this summer to make way for Hobby Lobby store
The annual Pittsburgh Gaming Expo had been scheduled to be held at the convention center in October. PGX co-owner Brian Wissner said Tuesday he’s not quite sure where his expo will take place.
“We’d made contingency plans, but we haven’t signed new contracts with anyone yet,” Wissner said. “The convention center folks have already contacted us to let us know things are in motion. I don’t want to say we’ll be there for certain, since we don’t have a contract in hand. But I think it’s great news for the community and for Monroeville.
“Even if we don’t end up there this year, we’ll certainly consider going back in the future,” Wissner said.
State Rep. Brandon Markosek, D-Monroeville, part of the group that met to discuss the convention center’s future, applauded the news.
“The MCC is a vital asset to Monroeville,” Markosek said. “Its ancillary economic effects on the local economy and the eastern region of Allegheny County cannot be overstated.”
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.