 Peoria IL—With increased meeting space as a main factor for the nearly completed $55 million expansion and upgrade, the Peoria Civic Center has become one of the largest convention facilities in Illinois, and with an Arena, Exhibit space, a Ballroom, Meeting Rooms and a Theater, one of the largest mutli-purpose meeting/event spaces in the Midwest, attracting nearly 1,000,000 visitors each year.
On March 1st, the Civic Center held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony—which also kicked off the Civic Center’s 25th Anniversary celebrations—to mark the official opening of the new Great Hall and Exhibit Hall D—issuing in a new era for conventions and trade shows in the Midwest. On April 11th , another Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was held for  the new 4th floor Ballroom, which sits directly on top of the new Exhibit Hall D. The 27,000 square-foot, fully carpeted Ballroom can seat up to 1,600 for a banquet or 2,880 for a meeting, and it is also divisible into 9 breakout rooms. The Ballroom features a high, sweeping ceiling varying in height from 23 to 25 feet.
The fourth floor is accessible via the Great Hall escalators and elevators and features 12,000 square feet of pre-function space, a guest services window, a coat check, restrooms, a new state-of-the-art kitchen, and a sweeping wall of floor-to-ceiling windows with a walk-out patio offering a spectacular view of downtown Peoria.
 The extensive renovation project has resulted in new total exhibit hall space of 110,000 square feet and 45,000 square feet of meeting space, which complements the 12,000 seat Arena and 2,200 seat performing arts Theater.
The Civic Center’s new Club Room and suites area are expected to be completed by Fall 2007. This area is located  one floor below the new Ballroom, with openings into the Civic Center’s 12,000 seat Arena. In addition to these new, large spaces the revitalized Civic Center also features updated finishes throughout the facility, expanded concessions and more restroom facilities. The Arena features five loading docks and bus parking for easy access when moving in large-scale events. The Exhibit space features 12 loading docks, including 10 new docks outside the new Exhibit Hall D - eight for semi-trucks and two for smaller box trucks. |
