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Port to Proceed with Environmental Review of Convention Center Expansion and Hotel Project

Wednesday, 08 September 2010
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

The Board of Port Commissioners has directed staff to begin the environmental review process of the proposed San Diego Convention Center expansion and hotel development.

The decision came Tuesday after the commissioners received an update on the project at its regular Board meeting. Port staff will begin the selection process this month for a consultant to conduct an environmental impact report, which could take 12 to 18 months to complete. A consultant is expected to be selected in December.

The proposed expansion would add 200,000 to 250,000 square feet of exhibit space, 100,000 square feet of meeting rooms and 80,000 square feet of multi-purpose ballrooms. The proposed hotel project would include 250-500 guest rooms, ballroom/meeting space, retail and parking.

In addition to the environmental impact report, the project will also require an amendment to the Port's master plan, the organization's central planning document, regarding the land use changes prompted by the expansion and hotel project. The amendment and the environmental impact report must be approved by the California Coastal Commission. Port staff anticipates going before the commission for approval in the winter of 2012.

The decision to proceed with preparation of the environmental impact report marks another milestone in recent months for the Convention Center's plan. In April, the Board of Port Commissioners granted the San Diego Convention Center Corporation permission to acquire a leasehold necessary to move the project forward.

In June, the San Diego Convention Center Corporation solicited a Request for Qualifications for design services for the project. On August 6, five architectural teams were named to compete for the expansion project. The final design team is anticipated to be selected in October. An update on the selected team's design for the Convention Center Phase III expansion may be presented at the November 2, 2010 Board of Port Commissioners meeting.

The expansion is expected to generate $698 million of economic activity annually in addition to the $1.3 billion a year that the Convention Center already generates. Additionally, the expansion will allow the Center to host larger meetings, recapture business that it has already outgrown and allow it to host multiple concurrent events at the same time.