The San Jose [Calif.] City Council approved a $120 million bond measure that will expand the San Jose Convention Center to offer more than $525,000 square feet of meeting space when the project is scheduled for completion in fall 2013.
“It does two things,” said Team San Jose CEO Bill Sherry. “It not only allows us to go after larger events, it allows us to hold multiple events—it gives us a lot of flexibility.”
The expansion will add approximately 125,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 35,000-square-foot ballroom and 25,000 square feet in convertible meeting space. The plan will also include a renovation and central plant upgrade as well as aim for a LEED Silver rating.
The city chose Hunt Construction Group/Populous to handle the design and construction of the expansion and renovation.
“Their concept is designing for tomorrow’s conference as opposed to yesterday’s,” Sherry said. “There are a number of enhancements that have been proposed that will help us attract those conferences for tomorrow.
“I can tell you that I certainly have high expectations that we will be able to design and build the convention center for Silicon Valley,” he continued, “and obviously that includes a lot of high-tech attributes being incorporated into that upgrade.”
The facility will also take advantage of the area’s sunny climate to offer more indoor/outdoor meeting space, he said.
Sherry, who as aviation director of Mineta San Jose International Airport oversaw that facility’s expansion, emphasized that the San Jose Convention Center will be open for business and will strive to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction during the project.
Sherry said that the approval of the bond reflects a positive outlook about the meetings industry from the San Jose City Council.
“I have to praise our Council for not only the courage to proceed but the wisdom,” he said. “What it tells me is the Council is investing in this city’s future, and the terms, conditions and debt service wound up being even more beneficial than we expected.”
