—
With over $1 billion in convention center construction underway, Clark Construction with its joint venture partners have been awarded the $520 million construction management contract for Phase V of the Orange County Convention Center expansion, one of the largest public projects ever awarded in the State of Florida. The project joins a distinguished list of current convention center projects that include the new Washington (D.C.) Convention Center, a $500 million, 2.3-million-square-foot facility; the $350 million, 1.7 million-square-foot Boston Convention & Exhibition Center; the $100 million, 480,000-square-foot Knoxville Convention Center; and the Memphis Cook Convention Center expansion in Memphis, Tenn., a $68 million, 335,000-square-foot project. In Florida, Clark’s projects include a completed expansion of the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Orange County Convention Center Phase V Expansion
Orange County, Fla., selected a joint venture of Clark, Huber, Hunt, Nichols of Indianapolis, and Construct II of Orlando, for the 2.9 million-square-foot Orange County convention center, one of the largest convention centers in the nation. The project will double the existing facility’s square footage, providing over 1 million square feet of new exhibition space, bringing the total exhibit space to 2.1 million square feet.
The expansion of the Center will also be supported by infrastructure expansions including enlargement of the airport, new hotels and new entertainment venues. Clark currently is serving as general contractor for the $68 million Airside Terminal 2 project at Orlando International Airport and recently completed Level 1 Modifications to the Airport that now offers passengers a renovated and expanded main level lobby designed for their convenience.
“Ongoing research with our customers has identified what it will take to remain a force in the meetings industry,” said William C. Peeper, president of the Orlando CVB. “We are pleased that local government and major players are all on board with the expansions that will continue to position Orlando as a meeting Mecca that attracts both small meeting and large trade shows.”
Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock/Architects, Inc. of Orlando, leads the design team on the convention center expansion that also includes Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Assoc. of Atlanta. To facilitate the Convention Center’s ability to house large shows and conventions, steel trusses spanning 180-foot column bays in the main exhibit hall will create an open air and column-free environment.
Located across the busy International Drive from the existing facility, the expansion will be connected through a “Gateway Connector,” an elevated pedestrian walkway that will connect the expansion to the existing facility. The expansion will be similar to the existing facility’s precast and curtainwall skin. Long-term plans allow for building an additional 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space and 600,000 square feet of additional meeting space.
Clark Construction Group, LLC is based in Bethesda, Md.
###
