Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1503289
B M & T ••• July/August 2023 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 8 C E N T E R O F A T T E N T I O N GREATER FORT LAUDERDALE/ BROWARD COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER A $1.3 billion expansion of the Greater Fort Lauderdale | Broward County Convention Center is currently underway. Phase One opened October 2021 with the expanded 800,000 sq. ft. center including 350,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, nearly doubling the size of the pre- vious exhibit hall. In 2025, this sensational venue will be even bigger and better at 1.2 million sq. ft. with the new exhibit space, a 65,000 sq. ft. waterfront ballroom, plus original dining concepts, enhanced water taxi access and a new expansive waterfront plaza with dining and entertain- ment in a park-like atmosphere. The convention center expansion project adds an additional 525,000+ sq. ft. of meeting space over the previous center configuration and the 801-room, 29-story Omni Fort Lauderdale headquarters hotel interconnected with the convention center. It takes full advantage of the amenities of this beautifully scenic location on the Intracoastal Water-way, focused on a mix of activities associated with the Intracoastal and nearby Port Everglades, consistently ranked as one of the three busiest cruise ports in the world. Work on the remainder of the $1.3 billion expansion con- tinues, including an eastside expansion with waterfront ball- rooms, meetings rooms and kitchen facilities, a six-acre out- door waterfront plaza, and the Full completion in late 2025 will expand the facility's size to 1.2 million sq. ft., adding an additional 525,000 sq. ft. over the previous center's size. The Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center has been awarded Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®) for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance Gold certification from The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), an arm of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The venue is the first convention center in Florida to be LEED certified on any level and one of only three in the nation to achieve LEED Gold certification for an Existing Building. Both the conven- tion center expansion and new headquarters hotel are antici- pated to be designated LEED Gold. The facility sits facing the Intracoastal Waterway, offering panoramic water views through a soaring glass wall. The cen- ter is located at 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard and is accessible by Water Taxi. The newly-updated preexisting center with its expanded exhibit space is now open, and work continues through 2025. When completed it will include an expansive outdoor plaza with restaurants, a concert venue and landscaping to create a parklike atmosphere, On prominent display will be the spec- tacular and famous 36x150 ft. sculpture, "Sailfish in Three Stages of Ascending" by Kent Ullberg - dramatic by day and breathtaking by night. All this is just a short drive from the air- port, the beaches and Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas downtown dining, shopping, arts and entertainment district. Completely state-of-the-art with cutting-edge technologi- cal services, the center features an executive teleconference suite and wireless Internet access and hot spots throughout. A five-star food and beverage department presents inspired cui- sine, and top-notch staff works with planners to execute all the details of even the most complex program with ease. For more information go to visitlauderdale.com.