January brought in the New Year and with it many more transformations to the Hickory Metro Convention Center. The renovation and expansion project has been underway for eight months now with a tremendous amount of progress. Despite temperatures in the low teens and rain (then even more rain), the crews on site were able to continue their work and progress.
Expansion Update:
The brickwork and painting have almost been completed on the exterior walls of the expansion. This work by dedicated crews, led by Hickory Construction Company, blends seamlessly with the aesthetic of the original building. Electrical infrastructure work continues on the inside of the 35,000-square-foot Multi-Purpose Sports Venue and crews have begun painting the ceiling and rafters in this space (picture below).
The corridor, connecting the expansion to the current space that is under renovation is shaping up well. This hallway will lead from the front Lobby through the renovated Catawba rooms to the new addition. A bright feature is the new skylight that has been placed centrally in the hallway to allow natural light into the space. This new connecting hallway will allow foot traffic from a new rear entrance to the building, a new front entrance directly in front of the Multi-Purpose Sports Venue, and also connect to the existing Catawba rooms.
A tremendous amount of progress has been made inside the pre-function space located in front of the Multi-Purpose Sports Venue. This space will include a large video screen, and beautifully crafted hardwood floors, and will connect to not only a small meeting room but also open up to a new outdoor terrace. This space will be a much-needed space for many different types of receptions and events.
Catawba Meeting Room Renovation Update: (picture below)
The Catawba spaces have seen a great deal of work during January. Within the renovated spaces, four areas received finishing touches on the painting of the ceiling. The dark gray color of the ceiling will work to hide ductwork and power sources from the naked eye. In addition, ceiling grid installation has begun on the new cloud ceilings. Inside of these cloud ceilings will be new LED lighting solutions. Lastly, work began on the new internal air-wall system with the installation of the new track system. These airways will work together to section off the space into four separate meeting rooms or many other configurations of the 22,267 square-foot space.
Additional Updates:
Adding to the seamless renovation of the entire building, guests will notice construction in the Hickory and Conover main hallways. Special wooden framing is being added to the exterior walls directly beside the Hickory and Conover meeting rooms. These frames, once finished will house new screens to display conference or meeting schedules, videos, and more.
Located at the far-end of the Main Hickory Hallway, work continues on a new small meeting room. Cabinetry and lighting has been added and finishing touches of electrical, AV, and carpet await.
Parking spots along 13th Avenue Drive, SE: (picture below)
After the rain and temperatures in the teens, dirt was finally turned in late January in front of the Hickory Metro Convention Center along 13th Ave. Dr. SE. This stretch of land will become 60 additional parking spaces for convention center guests. The parking spots are due to be completed by April 2024. This parking project is in addition to the renovation and expansion of the Convention Center and parking is a top priority as the Visit Hickory Metro team works with current and future clients.
New Parking Options: Additional parking lots are open on or near the Hickory Metro Convention Center campus. There are three lots: 1. blue, 2. green, and 3. yellow. As always, our parking is free to you. For vendors, the unloading and loading areas have changed a bit as shown on the map above. Please be patient with each other as you are unloading. This "positive interruption" will only be for a short while and we appreciate and thank you for your patience.
Meetings and events are still being held at the convention center during this time of progress. Please remember to "Bear With Us" as we are all a part of this expansion and renovation. A minor inconvenience right now will bring significant growth in the future. If you have any questions, please call 828-322-1335.
