Construction on the Los Angeles Convention Center expansion project might resume shortly. The more than a decade-long project came to a halt in 2020 when the global pandemic halted huge gatherings – and the development of venues to accommodate them. The deal with AEG and Plenary Group to deliver a new exposition hall expired earlier this year. A new motion, however, intends to begin the process as soon as possible.
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A motion introduced on November 8 by Councilmembers McOsker and Curren Price calls for the City Tourism Department to propose an extended exclusive negotiation agreement with AEG and Plenary Group, which would be voted on at the City Council’s Trade Travel and Tourism Committee meeting on December 5. According to the motion, a rapid timeline is required. This is because the Convention Centre is slated to host events during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It necessitates that construction be finished before the start of the games.
What the Los Angeles Convention Center entails
The extension would add about 700,000 square feet of space in a new exhibition hall spanning Pico Boulevard and connecting the current South and West Halls. The proposed expansion will increase the entire area of the Convention Centre by nearly 45 per cent, bringing it to 2.2 million square feet, including 1 million square feet of display space.
Renovations of existing facilities such as the Concourse Building and South Hall are also included in the project. Additionally, the building of a new West Hall lobby and a new parking garage on Bond Street. Outside its confines, improvements to the Pico Boulevard portion that bisects the Convention Centre are planned. This includes new lighting, larger walkways, bus and car drop-off area and maybe a mid-block crossing. The existing drop-off location, Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, would be turned into a manicured, park-like environment.
