Appleton Moves Forward on Plans for Exhibition Center

The city of Appleton is moving forward on plans to build a $20 million, 30,000-sq.-ft. exhibition center adjacent to the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in the downtown area. This, as the city of Green Bay looks to expand its convention center, increasing competition. Boldt, an Appleton-based construction company, has been charged with coordinating the project. The Appleton Common Council has joined the Fox Cities Exhibition Center Inc., a nonprofit, as it applies for a grant from the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau for up to $250,000, which would be used to hire an architectural consultant to work alongside Boldt. A December 2010 report from the Convention Center Community Coalition showed the Appleton exhibition center could bring in $8.5 million annually, and net $105 million in new tourism dollars over 20 years.