Charlotte’s 21 year-old convention center might soon receive a $100 million overhaul.
The Charlotte City Counsel recently approved a $1.6 million final design plan to be drawn up by the architectural firm TVS North Carolina. The new plan will include adding over 34,000 square feet to the convention center, modernizing its facade, and several technological upgrades.
The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority started working on renovation plans and concepts back in 2014 in an attempt to compete with similar-sized cities like Nashville, Tenn., and Austin, Texas.
The Charlotte Convention Center originally opened over 20 years ago in 1995, costing just over $150 million to build.
If final approval is given to the plans, the upgrades to the Convention Center will include:
▪ A new glass front facade and more substantial entry-way on Stonewall Street, as well a new 26,000 new square foot meeting space.
▪ A new pedestrian bridge over Stonewall Street that would allow Westin guests to enter the Convention Center without crossing the road.
▪ A new terrace and facade on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., allowing for an outdoor meeting area.
▪ New technological upgrades including new actuators to lower and raise ceilings, walls, and move room dividers much more quickly, as well as major WiFi upgrades throughout the facility.