LAS VEGAS – In a process that started in mid-June and included review of qualifications and proposals from numerous globally recognized design teams, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) received presentations by the three finalists competing to become the designer for the Las Vegas Convention Center District Phase Two Expansion project.
The design competition presentations took place today during a joint meeting of the Las Vegas Convention Center District (LVCCD) Committee, a sub-committee of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) Board of Directors and the Oversight Panel for Convention Facilities in Clark County. The presenting design finalists were RV Architecture/Friedmutter Group; TVS Design/Design Las Vegas; and Populous/Klai Juba Wald/LGA/ZimmerRay. Each finalist had one hour to present their design, followed by a question and answer session.
“This design competition marks a tremendous milestone for the LVCVA and our Convention Center District, and is an important step toward ensuring we continue to provide a world-class facility and experience to our customers,” said Rossi Ralenkotter, LVCVA President and CEO. “We will have a design team in place by the end of this year and we anticipate breaking ground on the expansion early next year.”
A recommendation of a design team will be forwarded to the LVCCD Committee at its Tuesday, Nov. 7 meeting. Based on that meeting and the committee’s approval, the LVCCD Committee will recommend the design team at the regular LVCVA Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14, where the full board will move to vote on the recommendation.
The designs presented today focused on the LVCCD’s 1.4 million-square-foot expansion, which will include at least 600,000 square feet of new exhibition leasable space. LVCVA staff worked in partnership with Cordell principal Terry Miller, the agency’s contracted owner’s representative, to develop the vision for the expansion and renovation project.
The LVCC District Expansion (Phase Two) and Renovation (Phase Three) is 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.
The LVCC District Expansion and Renovation will be completed in a phased approach with a projected completion date of 2023. Construction of the Phase Two 1.4 million-square-foot expansion is projected to be complete by 2021. The next phase will be the complete renovation of the existing 3.2 million-square-foot facility. The phased approach will ensure that no business will be displaced during the construction and renovation.
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.