$2 million renovation project at Rosemont convention center

The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont is undergoing $2.1 million worth of renovations to bathrooms and concession stands, and getting a fresh coat of paint in exhibit halls.

In total, seven sets of men's and women's bathrooms are being remodeled with new countertops, faucets, partitions and ceiling tiles. Also, 10 concession stands are getting a "newer, fresher, more modern look," according to Christopher Stephens, the convention center's executive director.

The last time the stands were renovated was in the late 1980s.

"This is long overdue," Stephens said. "The issue has always been the show schedule and working around it."

Walls and columns throughout the convention center are being repainted from gray to a two-tone scheme of gray and red.

To accommodate conventions at the 890,000-square-foot facility, construction work is taking place in phases. Officials hope to finish the project by the end of the year, though it could take longer.

The last major upgrades took place two years ago - a ballroom renovation project that cost more than $5 million.

Rosemont gets about $2.5 million a year to use for maintenance and renovation work at the convention center through an airport departure tax levied on taxis picking up passengers at O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. The village gets 50 cents of a $4 round-trip tax, with Chicago's Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and convention and tourism bureau getting the rest.