The convention package in Charlotte, N.C., is more appealing than ever with the opening this week of the $126.9 million Charlotte Convention Center expansion.
The two-year project has added 50,000 square feet of additional meeting and event space, bringing the venue’s total leasable space to 600,000 square feet and increasing the number of meeting rooms from 41 to 55. Two of the new rooms are highly configurable 10,000-square-foot spaces.
The expansion project also created a rooftop terrace, renovated 66,000 square feet in the existing 25-year-old building, and added a pedestrian bridge that links directly to the city’s largest hotel, the 700-room Westin Hotel. That bridge also provides easy access to Stonewall Station on the city’s Lynx light rail system (there’s also a convention center stop) and is the site of new public artwork: an LED installation called Skyline (below).
Existing space at the convention center includes the 35,000-square-foot Richardson Ballroom; the 40,000-square-foot Crown Ballroom, with an 1,800-square-foot built-in stage; and 280,000 square feet of exhibit space. The center also has a walkway connecting directly to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
This summer, a 381-room JW Marriott opened across the street from the convention center, adding to the number of hotels within walking distance. The 400-room Hilton Charlotte Uptown, the 250-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Charlotte Uptown, and the 149-room Hampton Inn Charlotte Uptown all circle the building, with Kimpton, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt House, and other hotels also very close.
Charlotte is served by Charlotte Douglas International Airport, about seven miles from downtown.
