Mayor Bass to Give Final Approval to LA Convention Center Expansion Project

Mayor Karen Bass is expected Wednesday to give the final approval for the Convention Center Expansion Project with the aim of revitalizing the downtown area and preparing the facility for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Bass is scheduled to conduct a news conference at the Convention Center alongside downtown residents and business leaders to mark the signing of the $2.62 billion plan, approved by an 11-2 City Council vote Friday despite concerns of rising costs and potential risks to the city’s finances and services.

Council members Katy Yaroslavsky and Nithya Raman voted against the project, and their colleagues Monica Rodriguez and Bob Blumenfield were absent.

The expansion will connect the site’s West Hall with the South Hall, adding 190,000 square feet of additional exhibit hall space, and nearly 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, as well as 95,000 square feet for a multi-service room. The City Council also authorized issuing $990 million in bonds to fund the project — with the debt service paid through 2058.

City officials expect the project to generate significant economic impact by adding nearly 9,000 union jobs and 1,600 apprenticeships, $1.8 billion in additional local business sales, $103 million in tax revenue for city services and 3.6 million visitors annually.

The Convention Center is slated to be the venue 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 city will finance $3.06 billion for the project, after adding the capitalized interest and bond issuance cost, according to City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo. Approximately $566 million will be set aside for “city-retained costs” to control overages, cover the impact of tariffs on construction materials, electrical service deliver and other potentials risks.

The project will have an average annual general fund impact of about $89 million. In the early years, the debt service will be higher.

The project will be built through a so-called “phased delivery” with completion slated for 2029. Work would be paused during the 2028 Games. The facility must be “Olympic ready” by March 31, 2028, or the city could be on the hook with additional costs if competitions need to be relocated.