Monroeville municipal and tourism officials want to make it clear to Hobby Lobby: the arts and crafts business is welcome to come to town, but they don’t want it taking the place of the Monroeville Convention Center.
Monroeville Mayor Nick Gresock and Visit Monroeville Board Chair Amanda Settelmaier sent a joint letter to Hobby Lobby real estate representative Matthew Abnet on Wednesday to express “extreme concern” about the proposal to close the convention center in June.
“The closure of the (Monroeville Convention Center) would be a devastating blow to the tourism economy we have worked to develop for decades,” the letter reads. “Over 20,000 hotel rooms related to MCC activities are booked annually. Without it, many of these businesses may close.”
Property owners Oxford Development confirmed earlier this week that the center would cease operations as of June 1, and a new lease would go to Hobby Lobby.
Oxford spokesperson Megan Stearman said Hobby Lobby would renovate the section of the existing building it will occupy.
Settelmaier and Gresock both said said they are exploring all legal options to save the convention center and engaging other elected officials to join their efforts.
The letter largely mirrors the discussion at this week’s Monroeville Council meeting, where Gresock said news of the convention center’s closure took everyone by surprise.
“We want to be clear and unambiguous: we would welcome a Hobby Lobby store in Monroeville,” the letter states. “We ask for the opportunity to work with you to find a great location … while also preserving our convention center.”
Oxford Development could not be immediately reached.
Hobby Lobby officials have not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Other venues have stepped in to offer their facilities in recent weeks. Officials from both the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh and the Kovalchick event complex in Indiana, Pa. have been in discussions with show-runners scrambling to find a place for their events.
In Monroeville, staff at the All American+ Field House, formerly the Club Sport and Health racquetball facility, offered their services.
“Our most recent (similar) event was a Just Between Friends consignment sale in November,” All American’s customer experience manager Kelsey Mercuri said. “I’ve been here for about a year now, and we’ve found that we have the facilities to host a variety of events. It’s a unique environment because of the turf field, but we think it offers some great opportunities.”
Mercuri said the field house has 100,000 feet of rentable floor space, and 170,000 square feet total. It would offer the opportunity to keep expo shows in Monroeville.
“Our goal is to support the community and provide continuity for event promoters and attendees,” she said.
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.