TO: Mayor and Members of City Council
THRU: Dr. Douglas Hewett, ICMA-CA, City Manager
FROM: Dr. Andrew Mansell, Senior Assistant to the City Manager
DATE: June 22, 2026
RE:Title
Feasibility Study for Downtown Convention Center
Title
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COUNCIL DISTRICT(S):
Council District(s)
All Districts
b
Relationship To Strategic Plan:
GOAL 2: Enhance Economic Growth and Opportunity.
GOAL 3: Desirable Place to Work, Live, and Recreate.
Executive Summary:
This Agenda Item request was for a ‘Feasibility of Downtown Convention Space and comparison to top 10 largest cities in NC’. The attached briefing book contains previously produced data, the ten-city comparison, and a cost estimate from CSL International, the firm that produced the 2021 county study. In a May 2026 conversation, CSL stated they could deliver the feasibility study for approximately $100,000 in three to four months and could continue into pre-design (blueprints and architecture) for approximately $500,000 if Council so directs. This memorandum is presented for Council discussion and direction.
Background:
On May 4, 2026, Mayor Colvin submitted an Agenda Item Request titled “Feasibility Study for Downtown Convention Center.” The item was placed before Council for information purposes and did not authorize a specific procurement action.
In June 2025, Cumberland County cancelled the $145 million Crown Event Center project after approximately $36 million had been spent. The County has subsequently solicited public input on future use of the former site (the Old Courthouse parcel) and has stated in October 2025 procurement documents that the 2021 CSL study remains the foundational analysis underlying any future planning.
To respond to the Mayor’s request, staff researched the information and attached a briefing book, and held a meeting with CSL International to obtain a cost estimate, scope description, and timeline.
Issues/Analysis:
Comparison to the ten largest NC cities. Fayetteville is the sixth-largest city in the State. Of the other nine cities in the top ten, five operate purpose-built downtown convention centers (Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Wilmington); one (Durham) is advancing a $540 million convention center and hotel project; one (Cary) is part of a regional meeting district anchored by Raleigh; and one (Concord) operates a hotel-attached convention facility. Fayetteville is the only city in the top ten with a population exceeding 200,000 that has neither an existing downtown convention center nor an active project to build one. The detailed comparison is in Section 04 of the attached briefing book.
Use of the 2021 county study. The 2021 CSL study identified a 1.1 million person market catchment within 60 minutes; 80% downtown stakeholder preference; a $7.4 million per year Food and Beverage tax base supporting approximately $80.6 million in bonded capacity; and a 20-criteria site-evaluation framework. The 2021 study evaluated a 2,500-seat performing arts hall. A convention center is a different facility type with different demand drivers, space program, and operating economics.
Cost of a feasibility study. Staff held a meeting with CSL International who stated they could deliver a feasibility study for approximately $100,000 in three to four months. The stated scope includes market capacity analysis, demand modeling, occupancy trends, market saturation, building program recommendation, operating pro forma, and identification of two to three candidate sites with loose massing for each. Council would then select one of CSL’s recommended sites, or elect not to proceed. CSL stated they could continue past feasibility into Phase II (blueprints, architecture, pre-design) for approximately $500,000 if Council directs. CSL’s stated guidance on overall project timing is that a realistic build horizon from study authorization to opening is five to seven years, with identification of funding sources the primary gating factor. The CSL information was provided verbally; final pricing would be set through a formal Request for Proposals process.
Budget Impact:
This memorandum, as an information item, does not create an immediate financial obligation. If Council directs staff to issue a Request for Proposals for a feasibility study, staff anticipate an appropriation in the range of $100,000 to $200,000 would be required, based on the CSL conversation and comparable contracts at peer cities. A phase-gated contract structure, authorizing Phase I (feasibility) with Phase II (pre-design at approximately $500,000) released only on a subsequent Council vote, would limit the immediate appropriation to the Phase I amount. The funding source (General Fund, Tourism Development Authority, public-private partnership, or potential cost-share with Cumberland County) is a separate Council decision.
Options:
• Option A. Receive the briefing as information and direct staff to develop a Request for Proposals for a Phase I feasibility study, with a not-to-exceed appropriation of $200,000, to be brought back at a future meeting for formal authorization and funding source identification.
• Option B. Receive the briefing as information and direct staff to take no further action at this time.
• Option C. Request modifications, additional information, or further analysis from staff before considering next steps.
Recommended Action::Recommended Action
Staff recommends Option A: receive the briefing as information and direct staff to develop a Request for Proposals for a Phase I feasibility study. A draft RFP and identification of potential funding sources would return to Council at a subsequent meeting for review and formal authorization.
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Attachments:
• Attachment 1. Convention Center Pre-Feasibility Briefing Book (May 2026).
• Attachment 2. Agenda Item Request