Los Angeles Convention Center Expansion Broke Ground

The $2.62 billion modernization project aims to revitalize downtown and increase visitor capacity.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Employment

Los Angeles Convention Center Expansion Broke Ground

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In October 2025, the city of Los Angeles officially broke ground on the $2.62 billion Convention Center Expansion and Modernization Project. This development is designed to significantly increase the facility's square footage and drive future economic growth in Downtown Los Angeles.

Why it matters

The project serves as a major investment in the city's tourism infrastructure, with the goal of attracting more conventions and thousands of visitors to the downtown area. It is expected to create over 15,000 long-term jobs once completed and has already yielded $500 million in contracts for small and minority-owned businesses.

The expansion adds 190,000 square feet of exhibit space and will result in one contiguous hall of 750,000 square feet. To date, the project has paid nearly $10 million in wages and secured bookings for 18 new conventions.

The players

Los Angeles City Council

The legislative body responsible for governing the city of Los Angeles and approving major public infrastructure funding.

The details

The massive undertaking involves connecting the existing South and West halls over Pico Boulevard, adding 39,000 square feet of meeting space and 98,000 square feet of multipurpose space. While the project is underway, Pico Boulevard between S. Figueroa Street and LA Live Way will remain closed to local traffic until May 31, 2028.

The Los Angeles Convention Center originally opened in 1971.
The Los Angeles City Council approved the expansion project in September 2025.
The city officially broke ground on the construction project in October 2025.
The closure of Pico Boulevard is scheduled to end on May 31, 2028.

Macro View

This expansion represents a significant update to the infrastructure originally established during the 1971 opening of the Los Angeles Convention Center. The investment follows a historical pattern of municipal efforts to stimulate downtown economic activity through large-scale development projects.

Local commuters should plan for ongoing traffic delays due to the closure of Pico Boulevard until mid-2028. Additionally, the influx of 186,000 estimated visitors may impact downtown transit and service availability in the coming years.

The takeaway

The project highlights a shift toward revitalizing older public assets to remain competitive in the national convention market. Residents should prepare for several years of construction-related road closures while the city works to increase its long-term visitor capacity.