Architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Norfolk, VA's Clark Nexsen, have been collaborating on the design since October 2001 and remain in place to oversee the particulars of the finished product, which will be developed in two phases with the first phase reaching completion in 2005. Development costs in projected 2005 numbers rise to an estimated $193.5 million. "Right now we're involved in pre-construction for the project, which means there's a great deal of planning," Turner's project executive for this endeavor Al Adams tells GlobeSt.com. "We're working closely with Jim Partin of Virginia Beach Public Works and the architects and engineers. The project is in the construction drawing phase."

Upon completion--all facets of the development will be ready for use in 2006--the new convention center will be nearly three times as large as the current meeting facility it will replace, the Pavilion Convention Center. The final product includes 150,000 sf of exhibition space, a 30,000-sf ballroom area, and an additional 25,000 sf of breakout and conference room space. There will also be ample parking on the grounds with a four-level parking structure to accommodate up to 1,800 vehicles, and additional surface parking areas to accommodate as many as 1,150 vehicles. Reportedly, city officials' selection of Turner for the construction job was based in part on the company's work on the expansion endeavor for the $162 million, 600,000-sf Greater Richmond Convention Center, which is near completion.