The long and winding road to expand the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City is nearing an end. Plans were approved last month to renovate the facility and enlarge it by 100,000 square feet.
The project, more than 10 years in the making, is significantly scaled back from the original plans to add some 500,000 square feet to the center. According to plans submitted by the New York State Development Corp., the project will result in a 40,000-square-foot increase in exhibit space. The other 60,000 square feet of additions will be for pre-function space, registration areas, food service, and loading docks. The $463 million project also calls for substantial renovations of the existing facility, including a new “green” roof. The Javits Center currently has 790,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
“The renovation will effectively address the Javits Center’s critical repair needs, and the modest expansion is at least a first step toward meeting the continuing demand for additional convention space,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a press release. “It was important to move forward with this renovation, and it must be followed by a long-term plan to enhance New York City’s convention business,” he added.
The center will remain open and fully functional during construction, officials say. The expansion, subject to final approval by the public, will be completed in 2010, while the renovations will be finished in 2013.