The Los Angeles City Council has voted to advance the L.A. Convention Center (LACC) Expansion and Modernization Project. The vote highlights the city’s commitment in investing in the LACC, a key economic driver for the region. The project is expected to create thousands of jobs for residents, attract visitors, and generate new revenue for the City’s General Fund.
The Council approved a design-build delivery model that contracts with a joint venture of AEG and The Plenary Group to complete the project before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the upcoming months, the city will work with AEG, Plenary, Populous (architect) and PCL and Webcor (general contractors) to finalize design plans, schedule and costs before construction starts in spring 2025.
This expansion project will kickstart needed economic growth in the region. Local businesses, especially in Downtown L.A., are dependent on direct and indirect spending from the LACC. The project is projected to bring in over $165 million in visitor spending annually and will create 7,445 new jobs during the construction phase and 2,147 ongoing jobs thereafter.
Los Angeles has been at a competitive disadvantage in attracting large, citywide conventions due to the lack of contiguous space, especially as competitors have completed or are in the process of completing major expansions. The new construction will connect the two existing South and West Exhibit Halls by adding 190,000 square feet of space to create one contiguous hall, and will add 55,000 square feet of new meeting room space and 95,000 square feet of multipurpose space. The plan also includes a redesign of Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, which will add public open space and become an outdoor venue for event programming.
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