San Francisco's Moscone Center Undergoing $55 Million Upgrade and Renovation
October 7, 2010 - The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB), the City and County of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Tourism Improvement District (SFTID) have begun work on a two-year, $55 million upgrade and renovation of The Moscone Center, with an expected completion date of July 2012.
The project is the most extensive of its kind on the 1.2 million-square-foot facility since Moscone South opened in 1981, the Esplanade Ballroom complex was added in 1991, and Moscone North opened in 1992. (Moscone West, which opened in 2003, is not part of the renovation project).
“Moscone Center has served San Francisco and our meeting customers well for nearly 30 years and we are very excited to give this venerable facility a fairly extensive make-over,” said Joe D'Alessandro, president and CEO of the SFCVB. “I'm confident these changes will help us not only maintain our current market share but attract new convention business as well.”
The upgrade and renovation work ranges from basic aesthetic improvements to significant infrastructure projects, including:
- New carpet, paint, lighting and ceilings
- Restroom renovations with new fixtures, tile, paint and partitions
- Upgraded lobbies
- Upgraded kitchen
- Digital displays and telecom/data cabling upgrades
- Elevator and escalator improvements
- Variable-speed control and other HVAC upgrades
- Meeting new ADA requirements
- Pursuing LEED Silver Certification
But more than anything else, meeting planners and attendees will take notice of architectural and design changes showcasing the destination through color, images and way-finding.
“In its current state, Moscone Center gives meeting attendees very little sense that they are in San Francisco,” said Dan Kelleher, chairman of the SFTID. “A major part of this renovation is incorporating recognizable colors like the Golden Gate Bridge's 'international orange' and integrating the city's iconic images into the buildings' public spaces and meeting rooms.”
John Noguchi, director of convention facilities for the City of San Francisco, added that the renovation work has been carefully scheduled to have minimal, if any, impact on existing groups contracted to meet in Moscone Center during the project's time frame.
The Moscone renovation project is being funded by a public-private partnership between the City of San Francisco and the SFTID, a business development district funded by San Francisco's hotel community to promote conventions and tourism and improve the Moscone Center. The City is providing $35 million and the SFTID is contributing the remaining balance of $20 million.
HOK has been selected for the architectural and design work, Webcor Builders as the general contractor, and Jones Lang LaSalle and the City of San Francisco's Department of Public Works as the project managers.
The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, not-for-profit organization that markets the city as a leisure, convention and business travel destination. With more than 1,500 members, the SFCVB is one of the largest membership-based tourism promotion agencies in the country. Tourism, San Francisco's largest industry, generates in excess of $8.5 billion annually for the local economy. The SFCVB business offices are located at 201 Third St., Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103. The Bureau also operates the Visitor Information Center at Hallidie Plaza, 900 Market Street at the corner of Powell and Market streets. For more information, call 415-974-6900 or visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com
San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop links with more than 30 international points on five continents with 29 international carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport connects non-stop with more than 65 cities in the U.S. on 20 domestic airlines. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com.
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