Schaumburg convention center to start $11.6 million renovation

Already in its ninth year of operation, the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center is being prepared for a three-year, $11.6 million renovation.

The Schaumburg village board is scheduled to vote next week on approval of the first $33,000 of a proposed $159,500 contract for PMC-Property Management Consultants of Cleveland to serve as project manager.

That part of the contract will cover the firm's oversight of phase I of the project — carpet replacement in the meeting rooms and banquet space, and renovation of the Winter Garden Cafe.

Phase II will later include renovation of all guest rooms, suites, elevators, corridors and a remodel of the club lounge.

Village Manager Brian Townsend, who was involved in the original construction of the facility while serving as assistant village manager, said it was expected that an upgrade would be necessary as the hotel and convention center neared a decade of service. The amount of traffic has led to a certain degree of wear and tear.

There will be virtually no visible changes to the exterior, and largely just the replacement of worn furniture and materials inside, he said.

“The layout of the building and the layout of the rooms will be the same,” Townsend said. “I'm not sure how dramatic the differences are going to be. We want to keep it very classy and very professional.”

The changes to the Winter Garden Cafe, just outside Sam & Harry's restaurant, are intended to eliminate some confusion among guests about how active or passive a dining space it's supposed to be.

“We'd like to formalize it a little more,” Townsend said.

Phase I is expected to take about three to four months before the longer phase II begins. Marriott, which manages the facility, has experience in how to do such renovations in the least disruptive manners, Townsend explained.

The project management firm is being hired by the village, which owns the facility. Village trustees voted to recommend approval of phase I of PMC's contract at a committee-of-the-whole meeting this week.

“I do believe it's a good idea to have someone who's working in our vested interest, and not just turning it over to Marriott to do,” Trustee Tom Dailly said.

The lead consultant for PMC will be Ellis Katz, who was the principal in charge with the architectural firm John Portman & Associates when it designed the hotel and convention center.

“I know Ellis is very excited about it and so are we,” Schaumburg Finance Director Lisa Happ said.

PMC was the low bidder among three firms that submitted proposals.