Steve Burdick, the city's manager of economic developmentservices, says the numbers are not a surprise. Indeed, he tellsGlobeSt.com that $1.8-million in annual funding is in place notonly to cover the annual operating losses but also to pay off thebonds that will be used to construct the facility and an associatedhotel, which together would cost about $60 million.

The only variable at the moment is how big the convention centerwill be. Originally envisioned as an 80,000-sf facility, the plansare down to 60,000 sf and may shrink form there, as the $20 millionbudget for constructing the building may have to cover design andconstruction of a sky bridge or tunnel between the two facilities,which will be separated by railroad tracks.

After sending out a request for proposals for the hotel andconvention center project, the city last month chose the Port ofVancouver's plan to have the city replace the Port's 150-room Innat the Quay on the Columbia River with a 300- to 350-roomconvention center hotel and build the convention center, whichwould seat 1,100 in its main hall, on the other side of therailroad tracks in the Esther Short Park area. Development isexpected to begin in 2003.