"It will have up to 14 adjoining rooms, or open up to hold up to 2,500 people at a single setting," he says.

Future phases of construction could include retail space, out-lot development, a hotel and an expansion of the main facility on the 52-acre parcel of land, Bowman says. He says his current 300,000-sf facility, a 40-year-old former warehouse and factory, is a popular draw for shows, bringing in 140 events a year. He estimates he'll have 1.2 million visitors next season.

However, he's not getting the amount and type of customers the area deserves, Bowman says.

"We've talked to prospective customers, including those who said they would not use us," he explains. "We've got a good location, but the limitations of the current facility make expansion impractical. The ceiling heights only 40 feet high at center, and the parking access is difficult. Plus, we're right off the exit to I-96, and when we get busy, the highway gets busy."

.Thus the decision to move, he says, which includes a possible reuse of the current building. He's in a lease with Adell Bros. Children's Trust, who has sued the Expo Center because Bowman did not build a hotel at the current site. Adell wants the Expo to vacate the 40-year lease that Bowman has on the property.

However, Bowman doesn't want to leave the prime piece of real estate. No hotel would come to the site, he says.

"We're going to pursue our available options on the property. The lawsuit is baseless and frivolous. We already settled a case with the company before, they're just trying to breach that as well," Bowman says.