Orange County Convention Center: Difference between revisions

| inaugurated = {{Start date and age|1983|02|25}}

| total_space = {{convert|4000000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<br>{{small|(West Concourse)}}<br>{{convert|3000000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<br>{{small|(North/South Concourse)}}<br>{{convert|7000000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<br>{{small|(Total)}}

| breakout = {{convert|313140|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<br>{{small|(West Concourse)}}<br>{{convert|166050|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<br>{{small|(North/South Concourse)}}<br>{{convert|479190|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}<br>{{small|(Total)}}

| ballroom = {{convert|155656110784|sqft|m2|abbr=on}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.occc.net |Venue Websitewebsite}}

The '''Orange County Convention Center''' is a [[convention center]] located in [[Orlando, Florida]]. OpeningOpened in 1983 as the '''Orange County Convention and Civic Center''', it currentlyis ranksthe asprimary public [[convention center]] for the second[[Central Florida]] region and the second-largest convention center in the United States, (the biggest isafter [[McCormick Place]] in [[Chicago]]).<ref>{{cite Itweb| istitle=United alsoStates theConvention primaryCenters public(250,000 [[- 2.5 Million Square Feet)| url=http://www.cvent.com/en/destination-guide/us-convention-centers-3m.shtml| center]]access-date=April for7, the2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108084737/http://www.cvent.com/en/destination-guide/us-convention-centers-3m.shtml| archive-date=January 8, 2012| website=[[Central FloridaCvent]] region. }}</ref>

The '''OCCC''' offers {{convert|7000000|sqft|abbr=on}} of total space, {{convert|2100000|sqft|abbr=on}} of which is exhibit space. The complex is located on the south end of [[International Drive]], a major tourist area in Orlando, Florida. Solar panels on the roof of the South Concourse provide 1 MW of power.

The original building (the "West Concourse") onced housed an 11,300-seat arena from 1983-92. Duringto its1992. time, itIt hosted concerts by several popular artists including: [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]], [[Tina Turner]], [[Whitney Houston]], [[Styx (band)|Styx]], [[Aerosmith]], [[Mötley Crüe]], and [[Hall and Oates]]. UseIts of the arenause declined following the opening ofafter the [[Amway Arena|Orlando Arena]] opened in 1989. The arena closed in 1992 and was renovated and converted into the main exhibition hall in 1996.

On April 18, 2012, the [[American Institute of Architects]]'s Florida Chapter placed the building on its list of ''"Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aiaflatop100.org/Current-Standings.cfm|title=Start Voting for Your Favorite Florida Architecture!|website=2017 People's Choice Award (Florida Architecture)}}</ref> Solar panels on the roof of the South Concourse provide 1 MW of power.

Originally, theThe '''Orange County Convention and Civic Center''' (OCCCC) was an idea born out of a 1977 law passed by Florida's State Legislature. thatThe permitslaw permit counties to collect a "Tourist Development Tax" on top of regular [[sales tax]] on hotel room stays, with the approval of the county's voters, for state-approved purposes. In April 1978 in a special election in April 1978, the voters of [[Orange County, Florida|Orange County]] approved a 2% Tourist Development Tax (the limit set by the state) forto the purpose of buildingbuild a Conventionconvention and Civiccivic Centercenter. That August, the [[Orange County Board of County Commissioners]] (BCC) approved a location for the OCCCC in Orlando Central Park, on International Drive, and drew up plans for a {{convert|325000|sqft|abbr=on}} gross area facility. The Infollowing 1979year, BCC and Orlando Central Park andagreed theto BCCgive cameOCP toone acent dealper wherebytaxed dollar of the OrlandoTourist CentralDevelopment ParkTax (TDT) each year for 30 years; in return, OCP would donate land for the initial facility, and give the county an option onto buy another {{convert|45|acre}} additional for future expansion., Orlando Central Park agreed toand commit adjacent lands for hotel and tourist development, with an incentive of one cent per taxed dollar of the TDT each year for 30 years.

Phase I was completed on February 25, 1983, at a cost of $54 million. The [[Boston Pops Orchestra]] played at the Grandgrand Openingopening on February 26, 1983, and 14,000 people attended the Openopen Househouse on February 27, 1983.<ref name="google.com">{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W5QsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uvsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6399,2015760|title=Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com}}</ref>

In June 1984, the BCC exercised its {{convert|45|acre|sing=on}} option for $2 million and began planning Phase II. The TDT was raised to 3% by a Statestate Lawlaw in 1986, and groundbreaking occurred in February 1987 on Phase II. It was completed in January 1989, adding {{convert|150000|sqft|abbr=on}} of exhibition space to increase it to {{convert|344790|sqft|abbr=on}} of total exhibition space, and adding {{convert|100000|sqft|abbr=on}} of meeting and support space.

That verysame month, an additional 1% was permitted for the TDT, increasing it to 4% . The BCC approved an additional three phases to the OCCCC (Phases II<small>A</small>, III and IV), and improvements to the [[Citrus Bowl]], its first non-Convention Center TDT project.

Phase II<small>A</small>, completed in December 1990, added {{convert|100000|sqft|abbr=on}} more support space, used largely for office space and registration. The next month, planning for Phase III was begun. By December 1992, "Civic" was dropped from the name, and the facility became the Orange County Convention Center.

Phase III was completed in January 1996, adding {{convert|383400|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of exhibition space, at a cost of $219.5 million. Phase IV followed that August at a cost of $198.7 million, adding another {{convert|367200|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of exhibition space and about {{convert|100000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} more meeting space. A retrofit of Phase I, completed in December 1997 at a cost of $32 million, opened up {{convert|8200|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} more. By 1998, the OCCC had {{convert|1103538|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of exhibition space over a total building space of over 4 million ft².

In June 1998, the BCC got a fifth cent approved for the TDT, partly for a grand Phase V, which would add a total of 3 million ft² of space to the OCCC. That December, they paid [[Universal Orlando Resort]] $69 million for {{convert|239|acre}} of land across International Drive from the original OCCC. The Martinez Convention Center Commission, named after then-Orange County chairman [[Mel Martinez]], was created to oversee planning and construction of Phase V.

Ground brokewas broken on Phase V in August 2000 after a large convention organizer, [[Reed Exhibitions]], agreed to move 42 conventions to Orlando into the new phase. It opened one month ahead of schedule in September 2003. Today, the first four phases are referred to as the "West Building", and Phase V is referred to as the "North/South Building", as it is divided into North and South Exhibition Halls which can be joined to form one large exhibition space or subdivided into six different halls (North A1, North A2, North B, South A1, South A2, South B). The North/South Building has {{convert|950282|sqft|abbr=on}} of exhibition space. Around the same time, the Oversight Pedestrian Bridge was built over International Drive connecting the two buildings.

In 2009, the Hilton Orlando, a 1400-room luxury hotel, opened. whichIt adjoins with the South Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center's North/South Building via an elevated, covered pedestrian walkway. The [[Hyatt Regency Orlando|Hyatt Regency]], a 1641 -room hotel, also connects directly to the Convention Center via the Oversight Pedestrian Bridge and the Hyatt Skywalk. The elevated walkway currently connects the North, South and West concourses over [[International Drive]] and the Hilton Orlando.{{citation needed|date=December 2010}} Additionally, Rosen Plaza and Rosen Centre, offering 800 and 1,334 guest rooms respectively, straddleare situated along the West Concourse. andThey alsoare havelinked by elevated, covered pedestrian bridges connecting them both to the OCCC as part of Orange County's master plan to improve connectivity and safety for convention-goers.{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}

==Facility Overviewoverview==

* The {{convert|62000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} multi-purposemultipurpose Valencia Room

===Economic Effecteffect===

OnThe average,OCCC thesays OCCCit hosts approximatelyevents attracting about 1.5 million delegatespeople annually, and provides ainjecting $2.5 billion total economic impact annually tointo the Central Florida economy, all at no cost to Orange County Citizens (OCCC is funded by a "tourist development tax" collected on hotel guests).<ref>[http://www.occc.net/Community/Economic.asp] OCCC Economic Impact</ref>

*{{Official Websitewebsite}}