Years of planning pay off as convention center opens

Patience can be a virtue. Case in point: the Las Cruces Convention Center.

For more than 30 years, Las Crucens have hoped, talked, dreamed, talked some more, planned, talked even more, and finally designed a city convention center. All of that has finally paid off as the Las Cruces Convention Center is now a reality.

The public finally gets to see the fruits of their labor as the facility is formally opened this week. Public events include a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house, beginning at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, and a daylong open house from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday.

This week's public grand opening events

Thursday

• 3:30 p.m. - Singing of national anthem, color guard, speeches from community leaders

• 4:30 p.m. - Ribbon-cutting and proclamations by the Greater Las Cruces Chamber and Hispano Chamber of Commerce.

• 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. - Open house, with live entertainment by Daniel Park and Vince Alton

Saturday

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Community open house and Touch-A-Truck event. Tours of the facility and its amenities. The Touch-A-Truck event will feature exhibits from nonprofit and volunteer groups, with a variety of vehicles on display for children to see and touch.

Some of the events already staged

• A pre-inauguaration gala for Gov. Susana Martinez, Dec. 29

• The La Casa Holiday Bazaar, Dec. 4

• A "Yellow Ribbon" ceremony for the N.M. National Guard, Saturday

Future events that have been booked

• Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce banquet, Jan. 21

• New Mexico State University Connections Job Fair, Feb. 1-2

• American Southwest Theatre Company Mardi Gras, Feb. 3

• Las Cruces Bridal Show, March 5-6

• Las Cruces Home and Garden Show, March 10-14

• National Active and Retired Federal Employees convention, April 14-16

• Gadsden High School prom, April 16

• New Mexico High School Coaches Association convention, July 25-29

By the numbers

• 680: The address on University Avenue where the convention center is located.

• (575) 526-0101: Telephone number for the Las Cruces Convention Center.

• 8: Full-time employees currently working at the convention center.

• 20: Part-time employees at the convention center.

• 10.1: Acres that the facility was built on.

• 55,000: Building's total square footage.

• 30,000: Square feet of meeting space.

• 6: Additional meeting rooms, separate from the ballroom and exhibition hall.

• 14,500: Square feet in the center's exhibition hall.

• 75: The number of exhibits that can be displayed in the exhibition hall.

• 9,000: Approximate square footage of the center's ballroom.

• 45: The number of exhibits that can be displayed in the ballroom.

• 8,500: Square feet of indoor pre-function space.

• 5,000: Square feet of outdoor pre-function space.

• 21.7: The amount, in millions of dollars, it cost to build the convention center.

• 350: Parking spaces at the convention center.

• 100 plus: Overflow parking spaces.