Dec. 4--THE TINLEY PARK CONVENTION CENTER -- already one of the largest in the region -- will more than double its exhibit space under a plan approved this week.

The south suburban facility holds everything from business conferences and high school graduations to wrestling tournaments and reptile expos. An increase in demand sparked discussions about an expansion, officials said.

"We knew when we built it 10 years ago that we were building a modest facility," said Tinley Park Trustee Patrick Rea. "But now we can attract a whole new family of conventions."

Tinley Park owns the convention center and will invest more than $10 million in the project. The money will come from tax-increment finance revenues, which come from increased property value from a designated area.

"We're just so excited," said Mary Patchin, director of sales for the Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It will put us in more of a competitive set."

The plan will add 24,000 square feet of exhibit space, bringing the total exhibit space to about 42,000 square feet. A new business center will be built, 6,000 square feet meeting space will be added, and technology upgrades will be made.

The Tinley Park Village Board approved the project as part of a 20-year renewal agreement with Mid-Continent Development and Construction, which manages the center and owns the adjoining Holiday Inn Select.

Mid-Continent plans to invest $10 million into upgrades to the hotel, including 68 new rooms and a second kitchen to the six-story hotel.

Construction is set to begin in spring and be completed by June 2010.

The facility, on Harlem Avenue north of Interstate Highway 80, was built 10 years ago. While it's the largest convention center in the south suburbs, it competes with facilities downtown and throughout the state, officials said.

mowen@tribune.com

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