Anaheim, CA – Ground was broken for the latest expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center, already the largest trade show venue in Southern California.
The official launch of the project took place on April 21 with a target date of completion sometime in the Summer of 2017. The plan calls for the addition of 200,000 square feet (sf) of flex space, which will help address increased demand for meeting space. Half of the new space will be column-free and ceilings will stretch 25 feet high. The plan also includes new loading docks, a pedestrian walkway and 10,000 sf of balcony function space. Another 1,350 parking spaces will be created to replace the parking garage that was torn down to make way for the new expansion.
The $180 million project will be funded with the help of a 2% addition to the city’s hotel room tax. This is the seventh time the center has been expanded since it opened in 1967.
The center currently provides 813,000 sf of prime exhibit space, which places it 15th on the Trade Show Executive World’s Top Convention Centers (WTCC) rankings. Anaheim leads the Southern California market in prime exhibit space, although the Los Angeles Convention Center (18th on the WTCC) and San Diego Convention Center (22nd on theWTCC) both have major expansion plans in the works.
Reach Convention Center Manager David Meek at (714) 765-8951 or dmeek@anaheim.net
