The Paso Robles Event Center, Travel Paso and the City of Paso Robles are looking into the possibility of building a $26 million conference center at the Paso Robles Event Center, the home of the California Mid-State Fair.
The proposed conference center would include an up to 15,000-square foot ballroom that could be divided into several separate spaces, six meeting rooms, one board room, and one pre-function space.
A 2017 study by Visit SLO CAL found strong demand for such a facility in San Luis Obispo County. Officials with the Paso Robles Event Center estimate the new conference center would generate $7.35 million in tax income for the City of Paso Robles over the next 30 years through money spent on hotel rooms by conference attendees.
Those involved in the plans for the conference center are currently studying the economic feasibility of the project and say once it’s proven to be economically successful, they’ll begin to solicit construction bids in early 2019. They hope to open the new conference center in early 2021.
Officials say the new conference center would create 181 full-time jobs during construction and 159 new jobs as part of the estimated $12.5 million annual budget.
