City Officials and partners held a press conference this morning to unveil the Convention Center and Community Center Theater renderings prior to the Council meeting later this evening. The City is moving forward with these transformative projects and will be asking Council for approval of the EIR, designs, and funding request.
Convention Center
The vision of the Convention Center is to create a building that reflects the attributes of the City. In particular, the architects drew upon local influences and themes such as agriculture, the rivers, and the gold rush. Similar to Golden 1 Center, the design incorporates the use of light and openness to make the building more welcoming.
The Convention Center Renovation and Expansion Project will demolish the western half of the facilities, built in 1974 and will replace it with over 240,000 square feet of new and improved space. This will add more exhibit hall space, meeting rooms, a new 40,000 sq. ft. ballroom, a new kitchen and lobby. The eastern side, built in 1996 will be renovated as well and new meeting rooms and a lobby will be added there.
With a lobby, ballroom, meeting rooms and exhibit hall on both sides of the building, the project will allow the Convention Center to host more events, remain competitive with other convention centers, and generate more hotel room nights and more revenue.
Community Center Theater
The vision for the Community Center Theater will transform the brutalist-style concrete structure that exists now into a new building that opens itself up to the city and embraces L Street to the south and the new plaza to the north. As result of the project, a new prominent main entrance will be built on L Street with a beautiful glass lobby.
360° experiences are available for 13th Street & K Street and 13th Street & J Street.