Schlager: City Council Still Favors a Conference Center in Casper

Officials say Casper City Council will not go forward with an ambitious $50 million dollar plan to build a conference center and hotel complex in the city’s downtown area.

Casper city manager John Patterson made the announcement Thursday morning.

Casper mayor Kenyne Schlager, who supported the downtown conference center plan, says she believes council, in general, favors the construction of a conference center somewhere in Casper.

"Even the governor realizes how important it is (for Casper) to have a conference center," Schlager said. "Casper's truly the hub of the state - the center of the state - we all agree that we need a conference center, it's just debatable how we're going to achieve that."

Schlager says council will consider other conference center options. She, however, would not comment definitively on what other options, if any, the city is currently considering.