Feasibility study underway for new convention center and hotel in Westmoreland County

HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — There are a lot of reasons to both visit and live in Westmoreland County, from gaming to outdoor recreation to arts and culture to sports and more.

And it's because of these reasons that on Monday, the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce announced it's launching a feasibility study to see if a hotel and convention center could be built and sustained along the Route 30 corridor.

Dan DeBone, the president and CEO of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, says that the county is ready and overdue for a facility of this nature and that it will be a huge economic generator.

"This initiative aligns seamlessly with our county's comprehensive plan, which reflects our collective vision to foster growth, support businesses and enhance the quality of life for all who call Westmoreland County home," DeBone said.

The old hotel and convention center in Hempfield Township, which were once run by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and then later by the Ramada Inn, were razed in 2015 to make room for commercial development that never ended up happening.

Now that location, along with several others from Irwin and Jeannette to Hempfield Township near the Live! Casino to Latrobe near the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, is under consideration for possible development sites.

This feasibility study will be conducted by the hotel consulting firm of CBRE and the $25,000 cost of the study is being paid for by private funds raised by the chamber. But for the actual development of a hotel and convention center, millions will have to be raised both privately and publicly.

"It's really about getting this region, getting out local, state and federal officials, getting private investment excited about what a convention center could look like today and what the convention center could look like tomorrow," said DeBone.

Overall, the chamber sees this as a good bet for the county. The feasibility study should take anywhere from five to seven weeks to be completed.