LA Convention Center Expansion Moves Forward Ahead of 2028 Olympics

The Los Angeles City Council has voted to move the LA Convention Center Expansion and Modernization Project forward with plans to have the project finished before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games.

The Council approved contracts with a joint venture of AEG and The Plenary Group to complete the project before the LA28 Games and will work with AEG, Plenary, Populous and others to finalize design plans, schedule and costs before construction starts in spring 2025.

The LACC is set to host boxing, fencing, taekwondo and table tennis during the 2028 Games. The Los Angeles Sparks played 11 of their 16 home games during the 2021 WNBA season at the Convention Center due to scheduling conflicts at Staples Center.

“The expansion and modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center are critical for the continued recovery of our local economy,” said Adam Burke, president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “Citywide conventions support thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses across every L.A. region and neighborhood and we’re grateful to the City Council for their leadership in advancing this pivotal initiative with today’s vote.”

The new construction will connect the 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.

“Despite being in the second largest city in the United States, the LACC is currently a second-tier facility and we are losing out on business to other cities due to the constraints of the Convention Center,” said Doane Liu, chief tourism officer and executive director of the City Tourism Department. “With this expansion, LACC will become a premier destination that is able to pursue larger events that bring visitors to L.A. who spend money at our local hotels, restaurants and attractions, adding additional revenue to the city’s general fund.”

The plan also includes a redesign of Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, which will add public open space and become an outdoor venue for event programming.

“Currently, the LACC hosts nearly 200 events and two million visitors annually,” said Kimberly Weedmark, general manager of the LACC. “We’re excited that an upgraded facility will allow us to expand our event base with more top-tier programs and allow our current clients continued growth opportunities.”