Sacramento Convention Center Construction Deemed Necessary, Continues On Schedule
May 8, 2020
The expansion of Sacramento’s convention center, which began in late 2018, qualifies as an essential infrastructure project in California, and even under the stay-at-home orders, work has been able to continue on the project. With safety measures put in place to ensure staff limit their chances of exposure, the crew is working six days a week on the project.
Continued work and limited weather delays helped ensure that the project remains on schedule for opening in late 2020, and Sacramento will begin hosting events in 2021.
“The ability to continue work on this project ensures that Sacramento will be able to attract critical convention business that can help lead our city’s recovery,” said Visit Sacramento President and CEO Mike Testa. “It’s the tourism-dependent hospitality businesses like restaurants that will benefit from the shot in the arm this project will hopefully provide in 2021, helping boost the economy and bringing back more jobs.”
The majority of Sacramento’s tourism economy is made up of delegates attending meetings and conventions, and when the convention center opens, Sacramento will have a larger capacity to host those conferences than ever before.
One of the major milestones of any construction project of this scale is when the first large structural steel pieces are erected, and work on the steel section is currently ahead of schedule.
Workers have also been able to make significant progress on the second ballroom, a critical component of the project that will enable Sacramento to host two convention groups simultaneously.
Aecom Hunt, principal contractors on the project, have enough materials on-hand to continue construction despite the global shipping delays caused by the current pandemic.
Keeping everyone on-site safe is the top priority, and medical professionals screen every person before he or she is admitted to the job site.
On April 2, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, City Councilman Steve Hansen and Robbie Hunter, president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, toured the convention center site to verify the safety measures and check on the progress, as the site’s role is vital to the economic recovery of the region.
The Sacramento Convention Center expansion project will provide a dynamic center for conventions, meetings and cultural experiences. An expanded exhibit hall and new ballroom will enhance the usability of the space and add more options for meeting planners.