$833M Washington Convention Center Makes its Debut

WASHINGTON, DC-It was nearly a decade in the works–marked by five years of planning prior to the 1998 groundbreaking–but the Washington Convention Center has finally come to fruition. While it took about $833 million to realize the endeavor, the monumental project is expected to pay for itself in a short time. Once the facility is completely up and running, it will generate an expected $1.4 billion annually. Already, the facility is fully booked for the next six months and has about 200 events booked through 2013.

The massive property covers 17 acres, and with approximately 2.3 million sf of space, the development is now the biggest building in the District. What accounts for the center’s largesse is 725,000 sf of exhibit space, 150,000 sf of meeting space, 36,000 sf of registration space and a 52,000-sf ballroom; about 44,000 sf of retail and restaurant space tops off the project. A three-part joint venture consisting of Atlanta, GA’s Thompson, Ventulett and Stainback & Associates, and Washington, DC’s Mariani Architects-Engineers and Devrouax & Purnell Architects-Planners, is behind the convention center’s design.