A SENIOR councillor says Hull City Hall should not be overlooked as the authority weighs up options for a new £30m conference and exhibition centre in the city.
The idea for the new venue is included in the City Plan, which aims to create 7,500 new jobs in Hull over the next decade.
Later this month, cabinet councillors are expected to agree on a preferred site together with a business plan for the development.
An initial feasibility report has suggested building a venue with a capacity of 2,500, along with the possibility of including a new hotel as part of the scheme.
It is hoped the centre will be ready for Hull's year in the spotlight as the UK City of Culture 2017.
But former Lord Mayor Councillor Danny Brown said revamping the City Hall should also be considered as an alternative to a new-build scheme.
Speaking at a city council scrutiny meeting, he said: "If this is going to be built elsewhere, we have to be able to justify why we are not using what we have already got."
He said the City Hall could be converted and enlarged at ground-floor level.
"All the shops around the City Hall would have to be relocated," he said. "That is something that we would look at, but it might end up being far less expensive."
Some councillors also questioned the idea of a 2,500-capacity venue.
Committee chairman Councillor Tom McVie said if it was going to be used for concerts, it would need to be much bigger.
Nathan Turner, the council's policy and research officer, said: "We are looking at all the options on what is required to run a modern conference and exhibition centre.
"We have been looking at other cities, how other conference centres operate and what the market is like."
The council is understood to have explored two site options in the city centre.
One is derelict land close to Myton Bridge, between Humber Street and Blackfriargate, near the Fruit Market.
The site also lies next to the new £15m C4DI digital technology campus development, which is expected to open next year.
The second site under consideration is at Humber Quays, in Wellington Street West. Land there has remained undeveloped since the economic downturn put paid to plans for a mixed residential, office and leisure complex.
The council regards both sites as being suitable for a conference centre, which would include car parking.
However, it is believed the private owners of a third site have recently approached the council with an alternative possible location.
An internal council report says while Hull's size compares favourably to other cities with conference centres, it currently does not attract similar number of visitors to support a large venue.
It says: "Hull is not currently positioned as an established destination for conference and convention events.
"The characteristics of the Hull market preclude the successful operation of a large-scale centre in the order of exhibition centres in Birmingham or Harrogate."
However, the report says 2017 and scheduled multi-million- pound improvements to both the A63 at Castle Street and the city centre should dramatically improve Hull's image.
"If sized correctly for the market, a new facility could attract considerable local and regional business and could begin to penetrate the national market," it adds.
