Convention Center renovation details approved by LVCVA board

The two-year, $597.6 million renovation of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s exhibition halls will begin in March, right after a major convention ends its run.

As soon as the doors close for the 2023 ConExpo-Con/Ag construction equipment trade show, work will begin to upgrade the North, Central and South halls similar to the $1 billion West Hall that opened last year.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors on Tuesday approved bonding for the project and a schedule to complete a four-tiered sequence of work that will enable Las Vegas to host all of the major conventions and trade shows on the existing calendar while the work is underway.

Referred to as the “Phase 3 Renovation” — the first phase was the acquisition and demolition of the Riviera hotel-casino and the second phase was the construction of West Hall — the project is slated to be completed over a two-year period that includes six time frames in which no construction will occur during major conventions.

The North Hall will be closed from March through August 2024 and the Central Hall will be closed from mid-March through mid-September 2025. No construction work is planned in mid-October 2023 in advance of the Specialty Equipment Market Association automotive aftermarket show; in January 2024 for CES; and those same time frames for SEMA 2024, CES 2025, SEMA 2025 and CES 2026.

Four sequences are planned for the project:

— Back-of-house improvements to be performed by the LVCVA staff as procurement packages.

— Primary exterior features of the program, including a new lobby at the west end of the Central Hall concourse, an expanded North Hall concourse, a new climate-controlled walkway between the North Hall concourse and the bridge to South Hall, a new outdoor plaza at the east end of South Hall, and the continuation of the iconic ribbon roof from West Hall.

— Renovation and improvements to the LVCC exhibit halls, meeting rooms, restrooms and concourses.

— Parking lot enhancements, landscaping, and exterior security improvements around the building.

LVCVA planners initially viewed Phase 3 as a $740.4 million effort, but two committees that are required to oversee the planning process cut $142.8 million in improvements out of the project. Committees sliced $63.1 million in concourse enhancements and $40.2 million in technological advancements from the project.

The key improvement will be building the climate-controlled corridor that will provide access to every exhibition hall. Conventioneers currently must go outdoors to move from one hall to another. Many of the largest trade shows use multiple halls to house all of their exhibitions.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on Twitter.