LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- It's been a long two years of roads downtown filled with cones, blockades and construction equipment that have been a source of frustration for some. Monday morning, the fruits of the construction will be realized at the grand re-opening of the Kentucky International Convention Center.
"If I see scaffolding, if I see cranes, that shows that community, city is growing," Louisville Tourism President and CEO Karen Williams said. "All of a sudden downtown, tens to thousands of people walking around, I think all of that will soon be quickly forgotten."
Crews were busy Friday getting the inside and outside of the center ready. The convention center closed its doors two years ago for a large-scale renovation that, according to Williams, was needed to stay competitive in the region.
"All of our competitors to the east, to the west, to the south of us are opening and expanding their convention centers," Williams said.
The original estimate for the renovations was $180 million, but Williams said with inflation, the actual cost was around $207 million. But Louisville Tourism estimates the convention center is expected to bring in around $250 million just from the events they have booked so far, with $400 million expected from tentative business.
But the economic impact goes beyond just the convention center, the hotels, restaurants and stores downtown. Local coffee company Red Hot Roasters being a partner with the KICC brings its own benefits.
"It exposes so many new people coming to the city to our great coffee like we're no longer a local secret now," co-owner Sondra Powell said.
Powell, who owns the company with her brother, said Red Hot Roasters is the official coffee sponsor of the KICC, meaning all the coffee at the center will be Red Hot Roasters.
"We expect this will also increase our online sales," she said. "It's also going to increase our sales in our brick and mortar stores."
"The trickle-down effect for the economy, for the economic development, is huge," Williams said. "And you'll feel it very quickly because it's not people just coming in the ones and twos. It will be thousands of people."
According to Williams, the first event at the KICC will begin next week. Bible Fellowship, the group putting on the event, will begin move-in on Tuesday.
The grand opening is scheduled for Monday morning. Commuters should expect road closures at Market and Jefferson from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
►Contact reporter Dennis Ting at dting@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@DennisJTing) and Facebook.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.