The Honorable Mike Fahey, Mayor of the City of Omaha, along with representatives from Hilton Hotels Corporation and Landmark Organization, participated this week in a groundbreaking ceremony at the corner of 10th and Cass Street, to start construction of a new downtown convention hotel for the city of Omaha.
Scheduled to open in early 2004, the 450-room Hilton Omaha is situated adjacent to the new Omaha Convention Center (which is currently under construction and scheduled to open in Summer 2003).

The hotel will be owned by City of Omaha Convention Hotel Corporation and developed by Austin, Texas-based Landmark Organization. Hilton Hotels Corporation will operate the new property under a 15-year management agreement.

“Hilton Hotels Corporation is proud of its current family of eight hotels that host travelers from near and far when visiting the Omaha area for business or pleasure,” said Kenneth M. Smith, senior vice president—hotel operations, Mountain/Central region for Hilton Hotels Corporation. “The addition of a major convention hotel like the Hilton Omaha will reinforce and complement our existing hotel presence, and provide our worldwide sales and marketing team with greater potential to bring additional tourism and convention business to the City of Omaha.”

When completed the mid-rise, eight-story hotel will feature a total of 24,500 square feet of flexible meeting space (including 15 various sized meeting rooms and a 10,000 square-foot ballroom) as well as an additional 6,800 square feet of pre-function space. The Hilton Omaha also will feature a restaurant and lounge, a business center, a fully equipped fitness room, an indoor, heated swimming pool and a whirlpool.

“Omaha is at the forefront of a trend whereby cities are leading the charge in the development of convention headquarters hotels. Forward-thinking officials like Mayor Fahey and Omaha city leaders know the formula for landing lucrative conventions hinges on a hotel dedicated to work in tandem with a fantastic convention center,” said Landmark Organization President Mark F. Schultz. “The Hilton Omaha will give this community a brilliant, vital edge as it moves into a new tier as a national convention destination. I commend Mayor Fahey and city leaders for following through with their vision to make this project not only possible, but also done with fiscal responsibility and innovation. Landmark Organization is honored to develop this milestone project to serve the people of Omaha.”

“This is an exciting day for Omaha. We have invested millions of dollars into our riverfront project and in just a few short years, Omaha will have a new front door on the banks of the Missouri. The Hilton Omaha will play a large role in welcoming guests to our city and to our new convention center and arena,” said Mayor Mike Fahey. “Omaha is conveniently located in the center of the United States, so visitors from both coasts will enjoy the ease of flying in and out of Omaha. And there`s no doubt, Omaha will surprise visitors.”

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