Paso Robles city leaders are teaming up to explore building what's dreamed up as the largest conference center in SLO County, a proposed $26-million, 19,500 square-foot facility across the street from the Paso Robles fairgrounds.

The Paso Robles Event Center, Travel Paso, and the city of Paso Robles unveiled a draft feasibility study of the project on June 20, describing it as a public-private partnership to meet "a strong demand for a facility fostering mid-week bookings and non-peak season visitation."

• Photo Courtesy Of The City Of Paso Robles
• CONFERENCING Paso Robles community leaders are exploring building the largest conference center in SLO County across the street from the Paso Robles fairgrounds.

"The conference center fills a great regional need and creates a new asset for the community, fair attendees, and business," Michael Bradley, CEO of the Paso Robles Event Center, which spearheaded the effort, said in a press release. "This project aligns with our strategic plan to be economically viable year-round."

Tentative plans for the facility include a 15,000 square-foot ballroom—which would dwarf the current largest ballroom in the county, the 5,400 square-foot room in The Embassy Suites hotel in SLO, according to Paso staff—as well as meeting rooms, a boardroom, and a "pre-function" space.

Partners on the project envision the conference center as providing an economic injection into the city. The feasibility study estimates that conference attendees would account for 11,500 additional hotel room bookings per year, generating $7.35 million in taxes to the city over 30 years.

The parties say they are continuing to explore the viability of the project, splitting the costs. A final green light on it won't come before the Paso City Council for another six months, officials said. Δ