Columbus Convention Centerhas been around since 1980. In the decades since, it has undergone numerous expansions and tranformations.I recently visited for the first time in about 15 years, and was pleasantly suprised to see how much it has changed.
As recently as the early 2000s, this was still a somewhat drab, buttoned up place - think the greys of this carpet, but everywhere.
Parking was available in a large, street level open lot along Goodale, directly in front of the building. This was eventually covered and is where Exhibit Halls C and D now sit.
Smartfarm is one recent innovation. Added in 2017, this was the first ever vertical, LED lit, hydroponic garden located in a convention center.
Originally, the convention center opened with a large retail mall, as well as Ohio Center (soon renamed Battelle Hall.) The retail mall concept was a bust, though Battelle Hall proved to be a popular, if somewhat small, venue.
The exterior always had a funky, incongruous look, which is especially cool from an aerial view. Aside from a high reaching artium and some odd angles, though, the interior used to be somewhat blah. More recent years have shown greater dedication to sprucing up the decor, especially with local artwork.
For those seeking coffee, Crimson Cup is located in the middle of the ground floor. However there's also a somewhat hidden Starbucks upstairs and over the elevated walkway, into the attached hotel. If not here for work (or if work involves writing about beer), there's also CBUS Tap Room. And of course a handful of restaurants, cafes.
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