CHARLOTTE, N.C.
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) announced plans for a $110 million expansion project at the Charlotte Convention Center slated to begin in spring 2019. The allocation from the Convention Tax Fund debt capacity approved by Charlotte City Council will fund increased breakout space on the Stonewall St. side of the venue, expanded accessibility to Center City amenities via a pedestrian bridge and flexible breakout space in the Richardson Ballroom, and more. Construction will start following Charlotte hosting the NBA All-Star Game in Feb. 2019 and is scheduled for completion in Dec. 2020.
"The CRVA is committed to creating a center that delivers an exceptional customer experience at the Charlotte Convention Center,” says CRVA CEO Tom Murray. “These renovations will ensure our space continues to be competitive for meeting and convention business and can tout high-demand features.”
A premier component of the expansion will include a pedestrian bridge linking the new wing of the convention center to The Westin Charlotte hotel, the city’s largest convention center hotel with more than 700 rooms. The pedestrian connectivity is located along Center City’s LYNX light rail with access to an area termed “Stonewall Corridor,” which is currently undergoing a $2.7 billion development boom.
The architecture will boast a “picture window” design element, similar in feel to New York’s High Line.
Additional updates to the configuration of 22-year-old Charlotte Convention Center will allow for an increase in meeting rooms and soft spaces where attendees can network between sessions. The supplementary meeting room space will allow the center to house 54 individual breakout sessions at one time with capacities ranging from 50-600 people theater-style per breakout. In total, the expansion will increase the capacity of the existing meeting level by 50,000 square feet including:
- 26,000 square feet of breakout space comprised of 15 meeting rooms.
- 24,000 square feet of pre-function space.
- The ability to configure the Richardson Ballroom into four meeting rooms.
TVS Design has been awarded the design contract for the Charlotte Convention Center.
