Denton Supports New Conference Center That Hotel Managers Oppose
DENTON (KRLD) - The City of Denton is looking to partner with University of North Texas to build the town's first conference center.
A company from Missouri is pitching the idea for the project that would include a 250 room full-service hotel.
Kim Phillips, the vice president of the Denton Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Denton regularly loses business to conference centers in other towns and a city facility would keep those visitors in the area.
"We have tons of business that's in our own local market that has to go to other cities, because we have no meeting space… even for a large banquet or for the football teams that play at the University of North Texas to be able to stay in our own city. I mean the list is, it's really endless," she said.
Phillips said in addition to local businesses the center could accommodate events associated with UNT.
"I think we'll see a lot of that university business that's happening in other cities come to Denton, just because we now have a venue that will accommodate it. I mean if for nothing else, the convenience of it."
But the conference center idea isn't popular with everyone. A group made up of half of the hotels in Denton sent a letter to the city that said a new, bigger hotel would be bad for their businesses.
The proposed site for the conference center is at Interstate-35E and North Texas Boulevard.
