A proposal last week to expand New York’s Jacob Javits Center has huge implications for conventions coming to the Northeast. New York Governor Mario M. Cuomo said the $1 billion redevelopment project to increase Javits by 1.2 million square feet will result in five times more meeting and ballroom space and create largest ballroom in the Northeast, at 60,000 sf.
Members of the New York convention industry are excited about the long-awaited expansion. “It’s welcome news for the more than 6 million meetings delegates that convene in New York City each year,” said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. “This addition will ensure NYC continues to lead in the convention and exhibition industry.”
The Javits Center, is located on Manhattan‘s West Side on 11th Avenue between West 34th and West 40th Streets, stretching over six blocks. In 2014, it hosted 177 events and more than 2 million visitors and is estimated to have generated 478,000 room nights for the city.
The proposal will take the total space from 2.1 million square feet to 3.3 million sf and grow the number of room nights by 200,000.
