Groundbreaking (finally) held for convention center hotel

City and business leaders will gather Tuesday morning to mark the start of construction on the $540 million Cincinnati Marriott Downtown, a project expected to reshape the city’s budding Convention District.

The 700-room convention headquarters hotel will be built on a surface parking lot at Fifth and Plum streets, directly south of the newly reopened renovated convention center. 

When it opens in in late 2028 or early 2029, the Marriott will feature 36 suites, more than 60,000 square feet of meeting space, multiple ballrooms, a full-service restaurant, ground-floor retail and a 17,000-square-foot outdoor events terrace. A skybridge will connect the hotel to the adjacent First Financial Center.

Local leaders have long described the hotel as a cornerstone of the region’s $828 million investment in the Convention District. 

Along with the recently renovated convention center, the broader project includes Elm Street Plaza, a new pedestrian-friendly public space outside the convention center, as well as new restaurants, bars and businesses designed to create a more active district. 

Those improvements will help Cincinnati compete for larger conventions, meetings and tourism business, according the Visit Cincy, the region’s tourism bureau.

“Today’s groundbreaking represents a major milestone in the continued transformation of our downtown and the future of Cincinnati’s tourism economy,” said Katie Westbrook, 3CDC’s executive vice president of development. Together, these projects enhance the visitor experience, support local businesses, and drive long-term economic growth in the urban core. We’re excited for the energy this development will bring to the Convention District and the city as a whole.”