Philadelphia Convention Center Grand Opening Slated for June 2011
Most expensive project ever undertaken by PA slated for opening!
After a lengthy 5-year, $700-million dollar renovation and expansion (largest project ever undertaken by PA Commonwealth), the Philadelphia Convention Center (PCC) is slated for a grand opening in June. The new LEED-green certified Philadelphia Convention Center boasts over 2.3 million square feet covering 20 acres of prime Philly real estate. These staggering stats make the PCC the largest conference center in the Northeast.
Main highlights of the expansion include the awe inspiring Broad Street Atrium (pictured above), which is over 7-stories high, and the new Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 6,000 attendees. As a result of the expansion, the PCC's square footage has grown more than 60%.
Much is riding on the Philadelphia Convention Center's expansion particularity for the hotel industry. Room demand is anticipated to grow substantially. As a result, several new hotels have popped up in the region including the 202-room Le Meridien, 230-room Hotel Palomar, and the 135-room Aloft Hotel. In total, the PCC anticipates that over 1,500 additional hotel rooms will come online by 2014. Lets hope they'll be filled!