A Los Angeles City Council committee Tuesday advanced recommendations to modernize the Convention Center without expanding the facility until after the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, as top city officials warned about the ramifications were the city to miss its completion deadline.
In a contentious 3-2 vote, the five-member Budget and Finance Committee forwarded a new action plan — presented by committee Chair Katy Yaroslavsky and seconded by Councilman Bob Blumenfield — with the intent to deliver an enhanced Convention Center without increasing its current size.
“I want to see investment in these high-road jobs, but the risks to the project as proposed, and the risks to the city’s finances are too great, and risks us having to cut our city workforce to offset the cost of the project for years to come, which isn’t even touching on the risk of schedule and being ready for the Olympics,” Yaroslavsky said.
Under the recommendations, city officials would close out all activities associated with the current Convention Center Expansion project plan.
Using the city’s $54 million investment in what is known as the Early Works Agreement, city staff would evaluate and report back within 30 days a list of deferred maintenance and upgrades necessary to bring the facility into the 21st century. Any work detailed would have options to ensure completion prior to March 2028 — all done through a competitive bidding process.
Major activities under the proposal consists of installing digital signage facing Figueroa Street and the interchange of the Santa Monica (10) and Harbor (110) freeways (where allowed by current state and federal laws); renovation of the Gilbert Lindsay Plaza; electrical and ADA improvements in the West and South Halls; cosmetic upgrades; and other fire safety upgrades.
The aim is to reduce risks and deliver a modernization project ahead of the 2028 Games.
Additionally, staff would report within 120 days on options to initiate a new request for proposals to expand the footprint of the Convention Center — upon conclusion of the international sporting event. The report should also provide options to maximize the site’s economic impacts, as well as examine the feasibility and benefits of the potential closure of Pico Boulevard instead of constructing a bridge, which was initially proposed to connect hotels and other housing to the Convention Center.
Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez backed Yaroslavsky, noting that this will be among options for consideration by the full City Council on Friday.
Council members Heather Hutt and Tim McOsker broke from the rest of the committee and voted against the proposal.
“I want to go on the record and say I’m not comfortable voting on these recommendations today. The substantive changes have not been circulated to the committee members, staff, public and the public hasn’t been able to give public comment on these last-minute changes that are very significant,” Hutt said.
A staff member for the City Attorney’s Office confirmed that committee members could indeed vote without reopening public comment on the matter.
The Convention Center is set to be the site for fencing, taekwondo, judo, wrestling and table tennis for the 2028 Olympics and wheelchair fencing, taekwondo, judo, boccia and table tennis for the 2028 Paralympics.
The Convention Center Expansion Project would be conducted in a so-called phased delivery with completion slated for 2029. Work would be paused during the Olympics and Paralympics.
Initially, the expansion project was estimated at $1.4 billion in June 2024, which later increased to $2.2 billion in January. The latest estimate puts the project at $2.7 billion.
City officials have advised setting $566 million aside for “city-retained costs” to control overages, tariffs on construction materials, electrical service delivery and other unknown risks.
The project consists of 190,000 square feet of additional exhibit hall space, nearly 40,000 square feet of meeting room space and nearly 100,000 square feet for a multi-service room, which City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo noted would add more than 13,000 construction jobs during the expansion.
The plans also included the renovation of Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, but that was dropped to lower the project’s cost.
While officials recognized the project will provide substantial benefits, there are notable concerns.
“I still believe in an expanded Convention Center. I still believe it. What I don’t agree with is the delivery method that we are using that was solely sourced with a time frame that we imposed upon ourselves that threatens the delivery of the Olympic Games,” Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso said.
Szabo warned committee members about the potential risks if they commit to the full expansion.
Paying for the expansion project requires issuing bonds, for an average net negative General Fund impact of $111 million per year over the next 30 years. In the early years of the once-completed-project, the cost would be greater, averaging $160 million from 2031 to 2034.
Any anticipated revenue growth would be used to pay the debt service obligation.
Another risk is the construction schedule.
City officials described a six-day working schedule for 75 weeks. The Convention Center must be made “Olympic ready” by March 31, 2028. The city could be on the hook for costs to relocate multiple events should the facility not be available.
The city could use the two remaining months to finalize any construction work, but must deliver the keys to the Convention to LA28, the Olympic organizing committee, on June 1, 2028, for its exclusive use ahead of the Games.
Risks to this schedule also include ensuring all fire/life safety and spectator egress for major events are ready, as well as expectations for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to design and deliver power to the project.
David Hanson, DWP power systems senior assistant general manager, noted that the utility is still figuring out how much power the expansion project will need.
“There’s a certain amount of power that triggers a certain design and a number of cables. It starts getting very confusing, but that’s what we’re most interested in because that determines how big this project will be for us,” Hanson said.
He added that such work will require additional support staff, which DWP would be pulling off other projects, such as those involving Metro’s East San Fernando Valley Light Rail, Port of Los Angeles initiatives, and under grounding of utility wires in Pacific Palisades, as well as Los Angeles International Airport.