Too Many Centers (Editorial)

Jonesboro doesn’t need two convention centers any more than Texarkana did.

O’Reilly Hospitality Management announced last week that it, in concert with Arkansas State University, is moving ahead with a 202-room Embassy Suites Hotel, a 40,000-SF convention center and a Houlihan’s Restaurant. Also announced was a $400,000 “investment” in A-State from the Delta Regional Authority for site preparation and improvements at the location of the planned Red Wolf Regional Convention Center and adjacent hotel.

The announcements came less than three weeks after the Jonesboro Advertising & Promotion Commission voted to give money to a competing group, the Keller Family Hyatt group, for a 37,000-SF convention center and adjoining 165-room Hyatt Place Hotel.

The commission agreed to give the Keller group $300,000 for advertising and promotion during the next three years; the group will also receive a hotel tax abatement of up to $200,000 per year during the same period. O’Reilly Hospitality had asked the commission for $600,000 to promote and market its convention center/hotel and a tax abatement of up to $200,000 per year. The A&P panel chose the Keller project because it will be cheaper for the city.

Even Tim O’Reilly, CEO of O’Reilly Hospitality, said two convention centers were unnecessary: “It is unfortunate both that there appears to be a political competition of sorts regarding our project and another convention center project that has been attempted for many years, and that there is definitely not a market or opportunity to succeed for two convention centers in Jonesboro.”

So one taxpayer-funded group — A-State and the DRA — appears to be competing with another taxpayer-funded group — the city of Jonesboro — to help two private hotel groups.

Our public servants need to figure out not what’s best for their respective entities, but what’s best for the citizens.