LOS ANGELES, Feb. 24, 2025—The Los Angeles Convention Center expansion is in danger, and the Building Trades are mobilizing to keep it in the construction pipeline.
In the aftermath of the tragic Palisades and Eaton fires, some elected officials and city staff have said the city can’t take on the expansion as it recovers.
“A pause in the project is warranted,” a city memo states, “to re-evaluate options and opportunities for expanding the LACC.”
The $1.4 billion in construction will generate 7,445 Trades union jobs, all to be performed under a Project Labor Agreement with the LA/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council.
With those jobs at stake, the Trades are defending the construction plan.
“We have a robust workforce in LA and Orange Counties, and our local affiliates are recruiting new members every day,” said Ernesto Medrano, Executive Secretary of the LA/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, “We can meet the moment for fire recovery, Olympics preparation and all the ongoing projects in our area.”
The expansion made progress in the past few months, with the Los Angeles City Council approving pre-design work with AEG and Plenary Group.
The $1.4 billion project will set up the center nicely to hold events for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which LA will host. It is slated to be the venue for judo, table tennis, taekwondo, wrestling and fencing.
Mayor Karen Bass will have final approval for the plan, which has been in the works for a decade and was planning to break ground in the spring of 2025.
The next update is due in March,
AEG currently manages the convention center, and will partner with Plenary, a developer and investor on public-private ventures, on the expansion.
Trades union representatives have turned out at several City to support the project.
“I ask you to think about the amount of jobs that will be created for LA residents,” said Ricardo Garcia, an organizer for SMART Local 105.
That includes the members of Local 831 Trade Show & Sign Crafts, part of IUPAT DC 36, who will play a big part in the Olympics setup. “A new generation will have the opportunity to live and work in LA,” said business representative Matt Cornell. “They’ll also have the opportunity to contribute to the local economy.”
Many businesses in Downtown LA depend on direct and indirect spending from the LACC. The project is estimated to add $165 million in visitor spending each year, and will create 2,147 jobs on an ongoing basis.
Stuart Waldman, President of the Valley Industry Commerce Association, said Los Angeles has been losing convention business to other cities.
“If we don’t take action now, we’ll fall behind and lose our edge,” he said. “The economic stakes are high. Conventions drive billions in economic activity.”
The LACC hosts nearly 200 events and sees 2 million visitors annually. Anaheim Convention Center, also built and expanded by Building Trades unions under a Project Labor Agreement, hosts 300 events.
The expansion would increase the footprint of the convention center by 45 percent. It will include 55,000 square feet of new meeting space; 190,000 square feet of new exhibit hall space, connecting the convention center’s existing South and West Halls to create one contiguous hall; 95,000 square feet of multi-purpose space; and public open space for outdoor events.
The last time major construction took place at the convention center was 1997, when the Building Trades demolished the northeast corner of the compound to make way for Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center). In 2008, the convention center was certified LEED for healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving green buildings.
The Building Trades have a strong presence in the Convention Center area, and intend to continue that with the expansion.
“Our skilled local workforce takes on huge challenges and has built Olympics-ready venues like SoFi Stadium, LA Memorial Coliseum and the brand-new Intuit Dome,” Medrano said. “Our members are fired up to contribute to the Olympics effort and we will do whatever it takes.”