GROUND BREAKING FOR NEW CONVENTION CENTER

Groundbreaking Ceremony for the $21.7 million Las Cruces Convention Center will take place at 9:00 a.m.

The 55,000-square-foot complex will be located at the southwest corner of El Paseo Road and University Avenue, across the street and just west of where New Mexico State University officials are planning to build a hotel in the future.

The convention center will include more than 30,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 15,000-square-foot exhibition hall and a 9,360-square-foot ballroom.

"We have been waiting a long time for this day to come," said Ken Mompellier, Executive Director for the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Countless legislators, councilors, city staff and dedicated members of the Las Cruces hospitality and business communities worked extremely hard over the years to make this facility a reality for Las Cruces; we would not be here if not for them." (Quote from the LC Sun-News report by Steve Ramirez)

This is a very important day for Las Cruces.