New and Expanded Convention Centers

Like everything else, the world of convention centers has been challenged by the economic downturn. Yet, while many plans to build, expand or renovate facilities have been shelved or postponed, a number of projects have stayed firmly on course. Following is a sampling of ambitious new projects and expansion plans in the works.

Nashville Music City Center Opening: 2013
nashvillemusiccitycenter.com

At the start of this year, Nashville's planned $585 million Music City Center received financing approval from the city's Metro Council. "This takes the city to a new level of competitiveness," says Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Indeed, at the time of the approval, 26 advance bookings, translating to more than 280,000 room nights, already were scheduled for the facility.

Groundbreaking for the center took place in March; once completed in 2013, the 1.2 million-square-foot facility will more than double the amount of meeting and exhibit space available in the city's downtown district. Among project highlights are a 350,000-square-foot exhibit hall that can double as a concert hall, more than 50 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, 36 loading docks and a sustainable green roof.

Pennsylvania Convention Center Philadelphia
Expanding: March 2011
(215) 418-4700
www.paconvention.com

Mega-groups, rejoice: A $777 million expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, increasing meeting and exhibit space by more than 60 percent, is set to debut in March 2011. Once completed, the entire facility will offer one million square feet of bookable space. Developers also claim the enlarged center will have the largest amount of contiguous exhibit space in the Northeast region, at 541,000 square feet, and the largest convention center ballroom on the East Coast, which will span about 60,000 square feet. Approximately 154,000 square feet of meeting space within 73 meeting rooms also will be available.

San Diego Convention Center Expanding: 2015
(619) 525-5000
visitsandiego.com

In part spurred by a desire to hold on to Comic-Con -- a rapidly growing annual event for fans of comic books and graphic novels and a major boost for the city's economy -- as well as to snag some of the hundreds of events the center has had to turn away in recent years due to the lack of adequate space, the San Diego Convention Center Corp. has advanced its plans to expand.

The $752.7 million facility will include approximately 200,000 square feet of additional exhibit space, about 100,000 square feet worth of meeting rooms, 80,000 square feet of ballroom space and 40,000 square feet of retail outlets.

In April, the Unified Port of San Diego got the ball rolling when it authorized a land transfer of six acres adjacent to the existing facility, which will be used for the expansion. Convention center authorities look forward to completion in 2015.

Irving (Texas) Convention Center Opening: January 2011
(972) 252-7476
irvingconventioncenter.com

Groups will begin occupying the new 275,000-square-foot Irving Convention Center in January 2011. Part of a 40-acre mixed-use development (whose second phase will see construction of the Las Colinas Entertainment Center), the $137 million center will have a 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 20,000-square-foot ballroom and 20 conference rooms. The entertainment complex, which will soon break ground and finish in early 2012, will feature a 300,000-square-foot facility with a 6,500-seat concert hall, nine stages for live music, 11 restaurants and retail shops. In addition, plans for a 400-room convention center hotel with approximately 15,000 square feet of meeting space are under way.

Jacob K. Javits Convention CenterNew York City
Expanding: 2013
(212) 216-2000
javitscenter.com

The Javits Center already is wrapping up a long-awaited major expansion this month, the first phase of a $463 million effort to increase space and renovate existing facilities. The addition, known as Javits Center North, adds 80,000 square feet of exhibit space. Phase two, set to begin this summer and finish in 2013, will entail various projects such as replacing the roof and making it green, replacing the exterior curtain wall and all skylights, enlarging and redesigning the main entryways, and installing new building water and air systems, including energy-saving technology.

Wilmington (N.C.) Convention CenterOpening: Autumn 2010
(910) 251-5101
businessmadecasual.com

This fall, the Wilmington Convention Center will open along the city's picturesque Cape Fear River waterfront. About four miles from Wilmington International Airport, the new facility will feature a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall with a 30-foot ceiling and drive-in access, nearly 6,000 square feet of meeting space divisible into eight rooms, a 12,000-square-foot ballroom divisible by six, a 12,000-square-foot event lawn, 15,000 square feet of prefunction space and covered riverfront seating.

Sustainability has been a major focus of the center's design, including the installation of a sand filtration system to prevent polluted runoff into the river, water conservation capable of reducing consumption by 48 percent, carpeting and upholstery made from recycled materials and energy-efficient lighting.

Indiana Convention CenterIndianapolis
Expanding: December 2010
(317) 262 3400
icclos.com

December marks the debut of the Indiana Convention Center expansion. The $275 million project adds 254,000 square feet of exhibit space, 63,000 square feet of meeting space and 100,000 square feet for prefunction activities. In all, the center complex will have a total of 566,600 square feet of contiguous space, 113,302 square feet of meeting space spread over 71 rooms, and 48 loading docks.

The center is linked to the adjacent Lucas Oil Stadium, which offers approximately 63,000 seats and its own 182,500 square feet of exhibit space, including a stadium floor, 12 meeting rooms and a retractable roof.