Downtown Clark State
SPRINGFIELD — Mike McDorman couldn’t have seemed happier Thursday to be standing inside what’s essentially a $5.6 million empty room.
“If people didn’t know it before, they know it now,” said McDorman, president and CEO of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. “Springfield is open for business.”
And with the dedication Thursday of Clark State Community College’s Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center, downtown Springfield received its newest and largest space yet for those businesses to host trade shows.
The place now is officially ready for just about anything — especially considering that the toilet paper dispensers were installed mere hours before Thursday’s dedication.
While the two-story, 27,000-square-foot building at 275 S. Limestone St. also contains classroom space for Clark State’s art program — in addition to a permanent home for the nationally recognized arts outreach program Project Jericho — the main feature is the Nicholas B. and Thalia C. Pavlatos Grand Hall.
“Welcome to Clark State and the Grand Hall. Ain’t it grand?” college President Karen Rafinski remarked during the dedication ceremony.
The hall is capable of seating 500 at round tables, but can accommodate 1,075 people with just chairs.
“Without seats in the room,” said Joe Jackson, Clark State’s vice president for business affairs, “we can get, legally, 1,500 people in here.”
It’s hoped that future conventions and trade shows will drive business to existing hotels and restaurants, according to McDorman.
It’s also hoped that the wide open space will be used by the city’s arts groups for events and performances.
“Our goal,” said Stu Secttor, executive director of Clark State’s adjacent performing arts center, “is to wear it out, not rust it out.”
Contact this reporter at amcginn@coxohio.com.
About the Author