Westmoreland officials announce pursuit of conference center for county

A decade after the shuttering of a hotel in Hempfield that functioned as Westmoreland County’s de facto convention center, local officials said it’s time to consider a replacement.

The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce announced Monday it has launched a $25,000 study to explore the potential construction of a convention center.

“We feel the time is right to move forward with this next step,” said Chamber President Dan DeBone. “We would prefer a location along the Route 30 corridor, from Irwin, Jeannette, Adamsburg, Greensburg and Latrobe areas. Our main focal point right now is (Westmoreland Mall).”

The study, funded through private donations and a $5,000 grant from Hempfield Township, will determine the need for a facility that can host conferences and other medium-sized events such as trade shows, concerts and other entertainment options, DeBone said.

It’s a need officials said has been unfilled in the county since the closing of the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center in Hempfield in 2015. That building, which sat on a hill across from Route 30 overlooking Westmoreland Mall, was demolished in 2021. The empty lot is now the site of a planned Menards home improvement store.

“This is exciting for all of us and a unique convention center and hotel would complement what is going on here now,” said Hempfield Supervisor Doug Weimer, suggesting interest for a facility has come from the owners of Live Casino Pittsburgh at Westmoreland Mall. “We’ve had calls. The casino is looking for a local venue to support the entertainment they bring in. They are also trying to bring in outside business. This is a giant opportunity for the county.”

A potential convention center was first broached by local leaders as part of the county’s comprehensive plan approved in 2018 that sought out areas for growth to counter decades of population loss. As part of the plan, local leaders pitched a convention center that could attract up to 1,000 attendees and more than 300 exhibitors.

Talks intensified last summer when questions surfaced about the future of Monroeville’s convention center, which hosts several large entertainment and hobby-themed events. That facility adjacent to Monroeville Mall was set to close before a deal was reached that eventually allowed it to remain in operation.

DeBone said he believes Westmoreland’s proposed convention center would not be in direct competition for the Monroeville facility.

Sean Logan, executive director of Visit Monroeville, which operates the Monroeville convention center, did not respond to a request for comment.

CBRE Hotels, a Texas-based hospitality consulting firm, will conduct the study to explore the needs and market opportunities for a Westmoreland convention center. It is expected to take up to seven weeks to complete, DeBone said.

Money is being sought to pay for a second phase of the study, which would provide chamber officials with an economic benefit analysis and potential building costs for a convention center.

Dan Galbraith, owner of Greensburg marketing and advertising firm Solutionist and a member of the chamber’s destination committee, said there is a need for a local convention center in Westmoreland County.

“We’re interested in anything that will spur development and bring business to Westmoreland County. A convention center would be great for the region,” Galbraith said.