Cincinnati Convention Center Renovation

The $264 million renovation of the iconic convention center reimagines the 10.7-acre campus as a true destination, enhancing functionality, flexibility, and connectivity while positioning the facility for decades of continued use. The transformation prioritizes usable, modernized space and seamless integration with surrounding downtown amenities, elevating both the visitor experience and the convention center’s role within the city.

The building now offers slightly expanded and more adaptable convention space, including an additional 7,500 square feet within the main exhibit hall that allows it to be divided into two functional spaces, along with a new 6,000-square-foot rooftop deck. Improvements also include a refreshed exterior façade that introduces significant natural light, extensive upgrades to core building systems, and the refresh and expansion of the junior ballroom with direct access to the rooftop event space.

Bayer Becker provided civil engineering, surveying, and landscape architecture services for the project. Our team led streetscape improvements along Fifth and Sixth Streets and played a key role in the vacation of the Elm Street right-of-way, enabling the permanent closure of Elm Street between Fifth and Sixth Streets. This effort facilitated a seamless pedestrian connection to the new 2.5-acre Elm Street Plaza at the former Millennium Hotel site, which features walking paths, a pavilion, and a dog park—creating a vibrant new public gathering space that extends the convention center experience beyond the building itself.