St. Louis ? The Gateway City wants to host the Democratic National Convention during the next presidential election year in 2012.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission is preparing a bid. The plan was announced Friday.

Mayor Francis Slay said in a statement that he doesn’t want to watch the Democratic National Convention on TV.

The Post-Dispatch reported that St. Louis has hosted five national party conventions but none since 1916. That’s the year Woodrow Wilson was nominated at a Democratic convention held at the old St. Louis Coliseum.

The Convention and Visitors Commission in St. Louis is hard at work. Already, it has started securing a block of more than 15,000 hotel rooms.

Bids to host the event are due May 21.