PROGRESS: Marriott Event Center reopens after top-to-bottom overhaul

Nothing except steel structural beams remains of the old Marriott Event Center in South Sioux City. The venue, from roof to floor, was completely gutted last year in a deluxe overhaul that cost more than $5 million. A new state-of-the-art events center opened in early December. 

"People have been very excited, extremely impressed with it," said Chad Schoenfelder, general manager of the event center and the adjacent Marriott Riverfront hotel at 385 East Fourth St.

"Everyone really is surprised by the space, we've had a lot of people say that, we don't have any space like this, even in Omaha or Sioux Falls," he added. 

John Gleeson, owner of the event center and the hotel, said last year that the renovations were "long overdue," particularly given the extensive updates six years ago at the hotel. Even before the renovations were complete, the event center had bookings into 2027. 

A 7,650-square-foot entrance hall -- a "pre-function space" as Gleeson calls it -- was added to the north face of the structure. The pre-function space has walnut paneling and a vast bank of windows. In its earlier iteration the building permitted almost no natural light.

The 23,000-square-foot main ballroom features a polished concrete floor and an exposed, vaulted ceiling, along with stage lighting and a concealed overhead door at one end, allowing large pieces of equipment to roll in for trade shows and the like. This month, for instance, the event center hosted an RV expo. 

The ballroom can be divided into two smaller spaces by a folding wall. The main hall can accommodate as many as 1,400 people for a sit-down dinner. The building has three built-in bars, staffed during events by Marriott bartenders. 

"We can take care of our guests, whether it's coffee breaks, or beer and wine, or liquor for a Christmas party," Gleeson said.

The event center was built sometime in the late 1970s, originally as a hockey practice rink before it was converted to a conference center; Gleeson's firm, which has owned the hotel since 1972, took over the events center about 30 years ago.

The last time it was updated, Gleeson said, was about eight or 10 years ago. 

"And that was just a minor deal -- new paint, new wall cover, new carpet," Gleeson said.