Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
57m ago

L.A. City Council Approves $3 Billion Convention Center Expansion

The approval commits the city to decades of bond payments on an Olympics‑tied schedule that carries significant financial and delivery risks.

A view of the Los Angeles Convention Center which will host in Halls 1, 2 and 3, Fencing, Taekwondo, Boccia, Judo, Wrestling and Table Tennis for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and will host Wheelchair Fencing, Para Taekwondo, Para Judo and Para Table Tennis for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. (Courtesy LA28)
The Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. The Los Angeles City Council is discussing whether to move forward with a phased expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center. The project, first proposed in 2015, aims to modernize and expand the venue to help the city better compete for major events and conventions. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Image

Overview

  • The council voted to proceed with an expansion adding about 190,000 square feet of exhibit space, nearly 40,000 square feet of meeting rooms and a roughly 100,000‑square‑foot multi‑service room.
  • City estimates put construction at about $2.7 billion, with total cost just over $3 billion including debt interest if there are no delays or overruns.
  • Financing through bonds is projected to create an average $111 million annual hit to the General Fund over 30 years, peaking at about $160 million per year from 2031 to 2034.
  • The plan targets initial completion in March 2028 with a pause for the Games, and missing readiness dates could force Olympic and Paralympic events to relocate as LA28 receives exclusive access June 1, 2028.
  • Backers including Mayor Karen Bass and labor unions cite downtown economic benefits and thousands of jobs, while critics such as the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association warn of long‑term taxpayer burdens and unresolved issues like DWP power delivery.