The building at 500 W. Livingston St. is getting a $6-millionfacelift in a deal the city has struck with UCF. Classes aretentatively scheduled to start in 2005. The university is alsomoving its film school to the Expo Centre site. About $4 million ofthe renovation funds is coming from a special city taxing district.The university is contributing the other $2 million from a recent$4.2-million state grant.

Undetermined, however, is the fate of the adjoining 290-roomOmni Marriott Hotel which has managed Expo Centre's bookings andprovided catering services to Expo guests for the past 20 years.Under the city-UCF deal, the hotel would continue using the 25,000sf of ballroom space at the Expo Centre for at least two moreyears, city staffers following the transaction tellGlobeSt.com.

Downtown brokers speculate the city has long-range plans tobuild additional exhibit and meeting space in a newly developedoffice building on the hotel's one-acre parking lot. City stafferstell GlobeSt.com department heads are considering severaldevelopment options for the parking area. Expo's existing exhibitspace totals 70,000 sf.