Kentucky.

LEXINGTON

Lexington Center completes expansion. The $50 million Lexington Convention Center expansion will be completed this month. The first phase of the project, which included a new 17,000-square-foot ballroom and other new meeting space, was completed last May. The second phase of the project created a new entry pavilion to the 23,000-seat Rupp Arena as well as converted old arena lobby space into 19,000 square feet of meeting and pre-function space.

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Marriott completes $10 million renovation. The Griffin Gate Marriott Resort completed its $10 million renovation in March. The 419-room resort offers 17,000 square feet of indoor meeting space and a new, 4,000-square-foot tent pavilion that is climate controlled and features French doors, a chandelier, and a 2,500-square-foot stone patio and garden area. The resort also has an 18-hole, Rees Jones-designed golf course that has hosted PGA Senior Tour tournaments. The renovation included a $100,000 makeover for each suite on the resort's concierge floor.

Campbell House Inn nears renovation completion. The historic Campbell House Inn will complete its $10 million renovation this summer. The project, being completed in phases, is adding a new nightclub and cafe and upgrading all 291 guest rooms and public spaces. The hotel offers more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space in eight rooms.

LOUISVILLE

New museum opens. The Frazier Historical Arms Museum opened in May in downtown Louisville. In collaboration with the Royal Armouries (Britain's oldest museum), the Frazier holds in trust one of the world's most impressive collections of arms, armor, and related historical artifacts in a 100,000-square-foot complex. The new museum also features a 120-seat auditorium, 48-seat theater, galleries, and fifth floor roof garden that are available for private rental.

Churchill upgrade creates new meeting space. An extensive upgrade of the historic Churchill Downs has created new meeting space that can be used year-round. Completed last fall, the $121 million Phase I of the racetrack's renovation added two meetings rooms, a glassed-in ballroom, three levels of private suites, and a centralized kitchen. Work on the $95 million second phase began last summer and will include a refurbished clubhouse and additional luxury boxes. It is slated for completion in time for the 2005 Kentucky Derby.

New hotel--museum complex planned for downtown. Five adjoining, 19th-century buildings in downtown Louisville are being converted into a 90-room Wyndham Hotel and 5,000-square-foot contemporary art museum. Scheduled to open by September 2005, the Wyndham 21C hotel will feature approximately 5,000 square feet of meeting space.

Wyndham also will manage a 225-room hotel connected to the Louisville International Airport. The airport Wyndham will open in early 2006 with more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space.

Expo Center expansion under way. The Kentucky Fair & Exposition Center in Louisville has broken ground on an expansion of its South Wing. The expansion, slated for completion by October 2005, will create an additional 237,000 square feet of class A exhibit, meeting, and public space. The $52 million project will include 57,000 square feet of new meeting and conference space and 558 new parking spaces.

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Galt House undergoes $50 million upgrade. The 1,300-room Galt House Hotel & Suites is undergoing a $50 million renovation that includes an extensive upgrade and modernization of each guest room and suite and renovation of its 120,000 square feet of meeting space in 52 rooms. The project also created a pedway between the property and the Kentucky International Convention Center that opened in November. New lobby escalators; renovation of all public spaces; and a new three-story, glass-encased conservatory connecting the east and west wings are part of the project as well. Some aspects of the renovation already are complete, and the entire project is scheduled for completion in fall 2005.

Downtown Marriott to open in 2005. The 617-room Louisville Marriott Downtown will open in May 2005 adjacent to the Kentucky International Convention Center. It will offer 50,000 square feet of meeting space in 30 rooms, including the 22,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom and 11,000-square-foot Kentucky Ballroom.

NEWPORT

New events complex opens. The Coconut Grove Banquet and Special Events Complex opened in Newport in February. The facility includes five separate function rooms, including the Grand Ballroom that can host up to 700 for a banquet and the Ambassador Room that can accommodate a function for up to 1,000 people. It also has a fine-dining restaurant. Coconut Grove is near the Newport of the Levee entertainment district, which includes the Newport Aquarium, shops, and several restaurants and nightclubs.

NORTHERN KENTUCKY

Runway project nears completion. The Cincinnati--Northern Kentucky International Airport will complete an extension of its east-west runway extension later this year. A third north-south runway also is under construction and is set to open by late 2005. The new runways are expected to add to the airport's nonstop overseas flight schedule that already includes daily nonstop service to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Rome. The airport is Delta Air Lines' second-largest hub.