USA - An extra 9,290sqm of meeting space, 20,903sqm of exhibition space, environmental sustainability and a five-acre waterfront park are part of the new design approved for Phase Three of the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC) expansion.
On 9 November, the SDCC Corporation’s Board of Directors approved Fentress/Portman/Civitas as the design team for the project, for which RFPs were issued in August 2010.
A 500-room hotel is part of the expansion projected to bring an annual economic impact to the city of US$698m, with 6,885 jobs being created.
“The Fentress design for the Center embraces the waterfront location with a five-acre rooftop park,” said San Diego Mayor, Jerry Sanders.
“The Center continues to be one of San Diego’s strongest assets, driving jobs, tax revenues and economic benefits, all of which will significantly increase when the building expands,” the Mayor added.
A new 7,432sqm ballroom will be the largest inside a convention facility on the West Coast. When completed, the whole complex will boast 70,000sqm of contiguous exhibition hall space, putting San Diego ahead of competitors in Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. in terms of space.
“Meeting planners told us what was most important to them and we believe Fentress can help us create a space that will accommodate their growing attendance, as well as to book new clients who haven’t had the opportunity to come to San Diego due to size constraints,” said SDCC Corporation President and CEO, Carol Wallace.
The Phase Three expansion will be built using the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The architects say a Gold ranking is possible.
The SDCC Corporation says over the past 20 years the facility has generated US$18bn in regional economic benefits and $360m in tax dollars for the city.
