CITY BEAT 2-1-2002

Meetings & Conventions: Newsline newsline.gif (8042 bytes) CITY BEATOmaha, Neb.
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NEW HOTEL PLANNED
Hilton Hotels Corp. will manage a new 450-room property that will connect to the new Omaha Convention Center/Arena. Work is expected to begin in April; completion is set for early 2004. The hotel will offer 24,500 square feet of meeting space and a spa. Meanwhile, work continues at the convention center, which is set to open in August 2003. The venue will have a 194,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 63,000 square feet of meeting space and a 17,000-seat arena.

Philadelphia
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ARTS CENTER OPENS
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts opened in December on the Avenue of the Arts. The $265 million building is already getting rave reviews for its bold design. Under a glass-vaulted roof are the 2,500-seat Verizon Hall and the 650-seat Perelman Theater, plus several public and event spaces. The center is named for philanthropist Sidney Kimmel, who donated $30 million to the project.