PRESS RELEASE - Last Beam Raised for Final Phase of Moscone Center Expansion -3/12/2018

For immediate release: March 12, 2018

Contact: Rachel Gordon, 415-554-6045 

LAST BEAM RAISED FOR FINAL PHASE OF MOSCONE CENTER EXPANSION

Improvement Project Ensures San Francisco Will Remain a Top Convention Venue

San Francisco, CA – Mayor Mark E. Farrell, San Francisco hospitality leaders and City officials today raised the last steel beam for the final phase of the transformative Moscone Expansion Project.

The construction project ritual, known as the topping out, marked a major milestone for the $551 million capital investment in San Francisco’s South of Market convention venue. The phased overhaul is on track to be delivered on time and on budget at the end of 2018, with the ribbon cutting set for January 2019.

“The hospitality industry is the No. 1 economic driver in the San Francisco economy,” said Mayor Farrell.  “These improvements ensure that San Francisco will remain competitive in attracting conventions and trade shows by expanding the capacity of Moscone Center, making the meeting spaces more flexible and improving the surrounding neighborhood. This project truly is a game-changer and I am excited to be here today to celebrate the tremendous progress we’ve made as we near completion.”

The Moscone Expansion Project is a partnership between the City and County of San Francisco and the San Francisco Tourism Improvement District Management Corporation.

Once completed, the center will have expanded the convention space by 21 percent. There will be more than 80 flexible meeting rooms, a 50,000-square-foot grand ballroom, more than 500,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space and outdoor terraces.

Other improvements are focused on the public spaces and include wider sidewalks, open-air plazas, four public art installations and enhanced landscaping and family-friendly play spaces to create a safer and more inviting neighborhood for residents and visitors.

“The new Moscone Convention Center is essential to keep San Francisco on the cutting edge of the convention industry,” said City Administrator Naomi Kelly. “Protecting well-paid hospitality jobs is a key strategy in keeping our City’s economy diverse and resilient.”

The latest and final phase consists of constructing the western half of the Moscone South building and a new kitchen, erecting two new bridges above Howard Street, adding terraces for Moscone South, building out Moscone North with a terrace connecting to Yerba Buena Gardens and making improvements to the Children’s Gardens.

“I am proud to say that the project is on time and on budget and we are looking forward to the Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting, scheduled for January 3, 2019,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel Association. “San Francisco welcomes more than 25 million visitors each year, and more than 20 percent of those visitors pass through Moscone Center. It is important that San Francisco stay competitive with expanded and upgraded convention facilities. This project has achieved that.” 

Designed by architect Skidmore Owings & Merrill, in association with Mark Cavagnero Associates, the project broke ground in 2015. Webcor Builders is the general contractor and project management and construction management is under San Francisco Public Works.

Work has been done in phases to minimize impacts to the City’s convention business.

Last year, San Francisco’s convention and tourism trade attracted 25.5 million visitors and generated $9.1 billion in spending in hotels, restaurants, shops, theaters and other local businesses.

The improved convention center not only will provide a sustained economic benefit to the City, but the project itself has supported 3,769 unique construction jobs, with more than 1.2 million total hours worked to date. Of the 87 subcontracts, 52 are held by Local Business Enterprise (LBE) firms, for a dollar value of $60.17 million, or 18 percent of the project spending. The project has surpassed its LBE hiring goal of 15 percent.

The project team forged a strong partnership with residents, business owners and community groups in the Yerba Buena and South of Market neighborhoods prior to construction.

“Among the components of the Moscone Expansion project that I’m most excited about are the improvements to the public realm,” said Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. “When the project is done and the crews pack up, we will see and feel a different neighborhood – one that is safer, more beautiful and more inviting.”

The Moscone Center project is designed to meet LEED Platinum certification with a goal of making it the most environmentally sustainable convention center in North America. The project includes an on-site water treatment center to capture and treat rain water, condensate water and foundation water to flush toilets, use for street cleaning machines and irrigate landscaping. Moscone Center will have the largest solar array on a building in San Francisco, producing 19.4 percent of the building’s energy needs. It also will be a zero-emissions building and fold seamlessly into San Francisco’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water usage.

Moscone Center opened in 1981 and has undergone several expansions and upgrades in the years since to keep up with the demands of the times. The current project will ensure San Francisco maintains its place as a premier convention destination.

For more information on the project, go to www.mosconeexpansion.com