ST. LOUIS – Young minds are coming to downtown St. Louis over the next few years and they’re looking at innovative ways to feed them.

The Vex Robotics Competition will bring tens of thousands to the Gateway City and more than 50,000 hotel room nights. On Friday, the media got a peek at the convention center upgrades and additions.

“I do think that having a world-class convention center is important,” said Mayor Cara Spencer. “I’m excited about the renovations, at least where we are right now, and we’re going to see where they lead to in the future.”

The future is bright with an estimated $32.2 million brought into the St. Louis region economy for the robotics tournament in 2026 and 2027.

“This is part of the AC NexGen expansion. I am so we’re standing just outside the new hall, 4X, a 72,000-square-foot exhibit hall that was added here at America center and so just outside of that space we have a 40-bed culinary garden, which essentially is an urban farm,” said Ed Skapinok, Chief Commercial Officer of Explore St. Louis.

The convention center, formerly in the shape of an L, has become a T with the new added space for multiple conventions at the same time.

“St. Louis is not the largest city in the world but we have our very strong points in terms of our robotics,” said Han KO, Convention Center Commissioner. “I’m actually safe to say that St. Louis is part of a global robotics hub now and then we swam in the future.”