Los Angeles has long been at a competitive disadvantage in the convention market — not for lack of ambition, but for lack of contiguous space. The existing South and West Exhibit Halls, separated by Pico Boulevard, prevented the city from hosting the world's largest conventions and trade shows. The LACC Expansion and Modernization solves that problem definitively, bridging over Pico to create a single, continuous exhibit hall exceeding 750,000 square feet — positioning Los Angeles to compete with the top convention destinations in the country.

The expansion adds 190,000 square feet of new exhibit space, a 98,000-square-foot column-free rooftop multipurpose space with sweeping views of Downtown LA and the Hollywood Hills, 55,000 square feet of new meeting rooms, and 10,000 square feet of outdoor event space. The Skynode — a grand interior public atrium carved through the depth of the building — capitalizes on Southern California's defining resource: sunlight. Gilbert Lindsay Plaza at Pico and Figueroa is being reimagined as a public outdoor venue, integrating the Convention Center more deeply into the fabric of Downtown and the adjacent LA Live entertainment district. The project is targeting LEED Gold certification in alignment with the Mayor's Resilient LA Plan and California's Green New Deal.

The convention center will remain fully operational throughout construction — a non-negotiable constraint that shapes every phase of sequencing and logistics. Olympic Readiness is required by Spring 2028 to host events including judo and wrestling for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with final project completion expected Spring 2029. Delivered through a P3 structure with Plenary Americas as lead developer and AEG as co-developer, Webcor and PCL Construction are executing as a construction joint venture under a design-build contract with a 40-month construction window that leaves virtually no margin for delay.