Early yesterday morning, Los Angeles City officials marked the official start of work on the $2.6-billion Convention Center expansion with a groundbreaking ceremony. 

The project, which received the final go-ahead from City Council last month, calls for the construction of a new structure bridging over Pico Boulevard to connect the existing West Hall and South Hall. The completely expansion will include 190,000 square feet of new exhibit space as well as a 98,000-square-foot rooftop ball room.

Aerial view looking southwestPopulous

Combined with existing facilities, the expanded Convention Center would eclipse 1 million square feet of total exhibit space - a milestone which would allow Los Angeles to compete for larger events, according to City Tourism officials. It is also expected that a larger facility could charge higher rental rates.

Work on the project is expected to be completed by 2029, with a pause of construction 2028 to allow the Convention Center to serve as an event in the Olympic games.

Private-sector partner sin the project include Plenary Group, architecture firm Populous, and construction firms Webcor and PCL.

Ground-level interior viewPopulous

Final approval of the Convention Center expansion came in September against the backdrop of dire warnings from City staff that the tight construction timeline imposed by the Olympics, as well as the City's recent budget woes, may pose obstacles. If the facility is not ready for the Olympics, the City of Los Angeles could face penalties due to its agreement with LA28. Additionally, even after accounting for increased revenue from the larger facility and digital signage adorning the building, the project is expected to represent a $89-million general fund obligation for the City of Los Angeles for the next 30 years.

Nonetheless, officials have touted the benefits for the project for the surrounding Downtown community, anticipating that the Convention Center expansion will generate 15,000 jobs and $652 million in general fund tax revenue over 30 years, while also drawing $150 million in additional visitor spending annually.

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