Javits Center's $1B expansion gets new renderings, breaks ground

Just over a year after it was first announced, Governor Andrew Cuomo has broken ground on the 1.2 million-square-foot expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Center. Foundation work got underway in December last year, and this first phase of construction will see the creation of a three-story building that will house the expanded convention center’s back-up generators, transformers, and other electrical equipment.

“This is no longer a promise or a proposal—we have now broken ground on expanding one of this region’s greatest economic assets, proving yet again that government can get things done,” Cuomo said in a statement.

In September last year, the Governor’s office put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the site, and by the end of January this year they had chosen a design team to lead the $1.5-billion project.

A consortium comprised of LendLease, Turner Construction, and TVS will shepherd the construction of 90,000 square feet of permanent exhibit space, 27 new loading docks, a green roof terrace and pavilion that will accommodate up to 1,500 people, 45,000 square feet of new meeting room spaces, and a 55,000-square-foot ballroom, the largest of its kind in New York, according to Cuomo’s office.

Once complete, this expanded space is expected to generate $393 million annually for the state’s economy and create 4,000 full-time jobs. Construction is expected to wrap up sometime in 2021.

• Javits Center’s $1.5B expansion now has a design team [Curbed]
• Javits Center's $1B expansion is about to get underway [Curbed]
• Javits Center to Get Even Bigger With $1B Expansion Plan [Curbed]