The Harbor Center near Slidell unveiled its long-awaited expansion on August 22, and the additional conference space has already caught the attention of people looking to host both large and small gatherings.
“The best thing about this new space is that it allows us to host a variety of events, from wedding receptions and baby showers to large corporate conferences that require separate meeting rooms,” says Kathy Lowrey, general manager of Harbor Center.
Harbor Center opened in May 2005. Original plans called for an assembly hall, but budget constraints prevented construction at the time, says Ron Blitch of Blitch Knevel Architects.
Blitch, the architect of the original building and the 9,000-square-foot addition, said he was proud of the seamless result.
“This expansion has the look we always wanted,” he said. “It should look like it has always been here.”
Lowrey said the expansion is intended to bring more events to St. Tammany, but also provide more flexibility for existing users. The addition of a second entrance also means that Harbor Center can now host multiple events simultaneously.
The highlight of the expansion is a 600-square-meter multi-purpose room that can be divided into four separate conference rooms, each with Wi-Fi, adjustable lighting and a built-in projection screen.
Without dividing walls, the rooms form a bright, seamless space that can accommodate 420 guests for a banquet, 306 guests with classroom seating and 650 guests with theater seating.
At the grand opening event on August 22, a brass band led a second row around the perimeter of the fully opened space, demonstrating the banquet-style layout.
The meeting space itself offers more options and flexibility for larger events such as corporate meetings and conferences, but also attracts smaller events and individuals, said Cody Bienvenu, Harbor Center’s sales and marketing manager.
“We host birthday parties, lunch-and-learns and parties. We can organize any event, from company meetings to franchisee meetings,” he said.
Mark Myers, Harbor Center’s board chairman, called the new space a “meeting planner’s dream.” He said the new meeting rooms would “expand the scope of existing events at Harbor Center and attract even larger ones.”
Attendees for the grand opening included St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper, Harbor Center board members, members of the East St. Tammany Business Alliance, Friends of the Harbor Center, St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce and Visit the Northshore, as well as employees from Blitch Knevel Architects, Voelkel McWilliams Construction and government and community leaders from throughout the parish.
Covington Councilman Larry Rolling said the Harbor Center’s new space would benefit the entire community.
“The economic impact of this modernization will be felt throughout St. Tammany. It’s hard to find a venue as beautiful as this,” he said.
Lowrey said the next phase of the $3.3 million, self-funded expansion project is to form a partnership for an on-site hotel. Several developers have already requested information about the project, she said.
“A hotel attached to Harbor Center through a public-private partnership, with restaurants to follow, would take this space to the next level,” Lowrey said.
