DENHAM SPRINGS, LA – The Denham Springs City Council has unanimously approved plans for a new $45 million convention center, but with one key stipulation: no conventions may actually be held inside the building.
City leaders described the move as “a balanced approach to progress,” saying the restriction will help prevent overcrowding, parking issues, and what one councilmember called “the slippery slope of people enjoying themselves in our town.”
Mayor Gerard Landry praised the project as “a vital step in proving Denham Springs is open for business, just not the kind that actually does business. And since operations are off the table, denying their sign permit seemed like a responsible follow-up.”
The 80,000-square-foot facility will feature a hotel, multiple meeting rooms, a grand ballroom that can have no more than 12 people inside at a time, including 10 employees.
Officials said the project will still boost local revenue “through optimism and the occasional ribbon cutting,” calling it proof that growth doesn’t necessarily require activity.
Developers hope to complete construction by 2027, but said it could be sooner thanks to the council’s decision to prohibit overnight guests from staying in the hotel, which “simplified the design considerably.”
