The Ottawa Congress Centre will begin $7 million in renovations under a new president.

The centre announced Tuesday that Pat Kelly, dean of Algonquin College's School of Tourism and former general manager of Ottawa's Chateau Laurier and Westin hotels, will succeed David Hamilton as its president.

Incoming Ottawa Congress Centre president Pat Kelly said he is confident a deal can be worked out for the centre's $150-million expansion.
(CBC)

One of Kelly's first jobs will be to help oversee a year-long $7-million renovation to the building that was also announced Tuesday and is already underway.

But his bigger responsibility will be to work with new centre chairman Jim Durrell to find financing for a $150-million project to triple the size of the centre.

Kelly said the expansion is crucial for attracting conventions to a city that is considered a safe, friendly destination.

"We have a world-class airport, we have quality and quantity of hotel rooms, we have outstanding restaurants, we have outstanding attractions," he said. "We have everything except, for many meeting planners and convention planners, a meeting facility that is large enough to be able to accommodate them."

Kelly said he is confident an expansion deal can be worked out.

Expanding the Ottawa Congress Centre is crucial for attracting conventions to the city, the centre president said.
(CBC)

So far, the project has faced a few hurdles. In February, delays and management problems prompted the federal and provincial governments to withhold a total of $60 million in funding for the expansion, but that money has since been restored.

Hamilton, who has been the centre's president for 13 years, is retiring in March.