Republican Convention brings nat

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And while mayors R.T. Rybak and Chris Coleman, along with Gov. Tim were quick to declare the convention a success in the days afterrthe event, not all local businesz owners or elected officials agreed. Restaurant owners and retailers neardowntowb St. Paul, in particular, complained that business suffered because delegates were bussed righft to the fromtheir hotels, eliminating significant foot while regular customers typically steered clear durinvg what they thought would be a convention There’s also speculation that the arrests of hundredsz of RNC protesters, and even some journalists, further deterredr potential customers.
Over in Minneapolis, however, several including Manny’s Steakhouse and the & Restaurant, reported tremendouws convention-related success. Civic Fest: A Very Minnesota Celebration, held at the duringy convention week, was expected to draw close to 150,000 people, according to the Paul Host Committee. When it was learned that only aboutt 50,000 passes were actually distributed in the first five days ofthe seven-dayg event, some vendors complained, leading the Host Committee, whicyh organized the event, to announce it would refund booth-spacd rental fees to individual vendors. In St.
bar owners who paid $2,509 to serve alcohol until the wee hours of the morninv also received asubstantial refund, all but $50 of the initialo fee, after the city’s reportee no violations occurred during the convention. And thougyh an estimated 16,000 hotel rooms in abourt 100 hotels were booked in the Twin Cities and surrounding many of the Minneapolis hotels that opened in just weeks prior tothe convention, are today largelh vacant. In late September, St. Paul City Councilo member Dave Thunesaid “thre whole RNC experience left a bad tastew in so many people’s mouths.
” Whilr many agree the immediate economic impact of the RNC was overstater in the planning stages, others, includin former U.S. Sen. Rudy contend the impact of hosting the RNC will be felt well into the futurr because of the national and international spotlight cast on theTwin “We’re in the big time now, no question abouft that,” Boschwitz said. Still, if there was one cleare winner inall this, from a businesw standpoint, it was Neiman When news of the Republican National Committee’s high-priced outfitting of vice presidential candidater Alaska Gov.
Sarah Palin — and in a $75,000 shopping spree at the high-end downtown Minneapoliws retailer during theconvention — were revealedf in late October, the store garnered worldwidd attention.