Expansion of Colorado Convention Center Kicks Off

Visit Denver along with city of Denver officials held a commemorative “Raise the Roof” ceremony, officially kicking off construction on the Colorado Convention Center (CCC) expansion. The 200,000-square-foot rooftop expansion will include an 80,000-square-foot, column-free ballroom, and is expected to be completed in late 2023, with new design features, technological upgrades.

The Colorado Convention Center and the meetings hosted within it are significant economic drivers for Denver and Colorado—drawing an annual $700 million in economic impact, according to 2019 figures. Upon completion of the expansion, Denver is anticipating an additional $85 million in annual economic impact. The project is also expected to add as many as 2,000 new direct hospitality jobs.

The "Mile High City’s" road to recovery has so far included several key events at the CCC in 2021—the Major League Baseball All-Star Game’s PlayBall Park, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market and the Craft Brewers Conference, among others—signs of optimism as the expansion project moves forward.

“This expansion—and the progress made on it so far—are symbolic of Denver’s comeback,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver, said in a press note. “Despite the pandemic, this project was able to stay on track—employing thousands of people through a difficult time and creating new permanent jobs and significant future economic impact.”

The expansion, which is actually taking place on the rooftop of the original building, will include a new 80,000-square-foot multi-purpose room; new pre-function and networking spaces; technology improvements; and a rooftop outdoor terrace with panoramic views of both the city and Rocky Mountains. Located in the heart of Denver’s walkable downtown, which itself features more than 12,000 hotel rooms, renowned restaurants and world-class attractions, the CCC capitalizes on the urban core and nearby Rocky Mountains to attract meetings and conventions.

The CCC first opened in 1990; and Denver voters approved the first expansion in 1999, doubling the building’s size to 584,000 square feet of exhibit space, with 63 meeting rooms providing 100,000 square feet of meeting space, 35,000-square-foot and 50,000-square-foot ballrooms and a 5,000-seat theater. This expansion was completed in December 2004, and one year later, the 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver opened directly across the street. 

To know more, visit www.denverconvention.com.

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