Architects presented design drawings for the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion to the Board of Directors of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) on April 10. The drawings provide a glimpse of the vibrant new look for the nearly 60-year-old facility.
“This is one of the most important days in the history of the LVCVA,” says Rossi Ralenkotter, LVCVA chief executive officer. “These drawings show a modern, innovative design that is as iconic as our vibrant city,” adding, “Southern Nevada’s economy is driven by tourism and this expansion will propel our convention center forward to enable us to maintain our status as the number one trade show destination in North America.
Last month, Geotechnical & Environmental Services, Inc. (GES) began drilling for all footing locations. GES is doing subsurface explorations to determine soil properties and assist with engineering recommendations. They are marking out the depths they hit caliche, ground water, and past structures that may have been buried in the lots. They are also sending core samples to the lab for environmental impacts on the site.
The LVCCD’s Phase Two is an $860 million expansion project that will add 1.4 million square feet to the current convention center facility, including at least 600,000 square feet of new, leasable exhibit space. The expansion is slated for completion in time to welcome CES in 2021. Late last year, the LVCVA’s Board of Directors finalized the selection of tvsdesign / Design Las Vegas to provide design services for the expansion project.
“Our biggest goal was to give Las Vegas a convention center that will be iconic, with a design that nods to all of the very unique architecture in the city’s history, while also providing contemporary, cohesive design aesthetic across the entire property,” says Rob Svedberg, principal, tvsdesign. “Being iconic in Las Vegas is different than being iconic in other places, and we really want this building to be unique in the marketplace and provide something no other convention center can, while also having a strong identity, so that when someone sees it, they immediately know that it’s the Las Vegas Convention Center.”
Phase Three will be the complete renovation of the existing 3.2 million-square-foot facility, with a projected completion date of 2023. The phased approach will ensure that no business will be displaced during the construction and renovation. LVCVA staff worked in partnership with Cordell Corporation principal Terry Miller, the agency’s contracted owner’s representative, to develop the vision for the expansion and renovation project.
Each year, Las Vegas hosts approximately 22,000 meetings, conventions and tradeshows, which directly support an estimated 54,800 jobs paying $2.3 billion in wages and salaries. In 2017, the Las Vegas Convention Center hosted 21 percent of convention attendees traveling to southern Nevada, which directly supported approximately 8,600 jobs, paying $375 million in wages and salaries. Including indirect and induced impacts, the Las Vegas Convention Center’s attendees generated $2.1 billion in economic impact throughout the local economy.
The LVCC District Expansion (Phase Two) and Renovation (Phase Three) are expected to support nearly 14,000 construction jobs and nearly 7,800 full-time permanent jobs upon completion. The project will generate an additional $2.1 billion in economic activity during construction and upon completion will have an annual incremental economic impact of $810 million while attracting more than 600,000 additional visitors each year.
Overall, the tourism industry continues to be crucial to Southern Nevada’s economy generating $60 billion in total economic impact, supporting 407,000 jobs and $16.9 billion in local wages and salaries. These jobs represent 44 percent of Southern Nevada’s total workforce. Trade Show News Network recently recognized Las Vegas as the No. 1 trade show destination in the country for the 24th consecutive year as it boasts more than 11 million square feet of meeting space in addition to a wide array of event, dining and entertainment venues that are also used for group business.
The project will allow the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to pursue new business opportunities while also growing the shows currently taking place in the destination.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the LVCC. With nearly 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and more than 11 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. Download the virtual reality app, Vegas VR, to experience Las Vegas from your iPhone or Android by visiting www.vrtv.vegas/. For more info, visit www.lvcva.com or www.visitlasvegas.com.
