Milwaukee falls short of hotel rooms for major convention

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee city leaders are considering a bid to host the 2016 Democratic National Convention; however, the city may not be ready for a convention any time soon.

“Milwaukee would love to host an event like this,” said Paul Upchurch of Visit Milwaukee.

Upchurch said the city has been considering a bid for the 2016 convention primarily because of the economic impact.

“Their estimate is about $150-$200 million,” Upchurch said.

However, it is unlikely any major political convention could fit within Milwaukee because the metro’s 16,000 hotel rooms fall short of the 17,000-20,000 required. The city also has a shortage of convention center space and arenas.

The BMO Harris Bradley Center, the arena and convention center are within steps of each other, but convention organizers want an arena with more suites and more seats. They would need all the facilities for several weeks or potentially months during the summer.

“We’re trying to be creative to see if there’s a way to make it work, but it looks like maybe a larger city will get this one,” Upchurch said.

Reported by:  Wisn.com