The World Market Center is seen from the garage of the Las Vegas Premium Outlets Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018 | 6:30 p.m.
The city of Las Vegas and the International Market Centers are looking to construct a $76 million, 350,000-square-foot expo center downtown.
To be voted on at Wednesday’s Redevelopment Agency meeting, the project construction would be begin within the next 12 to 18 months. Las Vegas would contribute $30 million to the project through a tax increment financing note.
The multiuse facility would be built next to the World Market Center on the surrounding 60-acre site that already includes three interconnected showroom buildings, parking garage and three temporary pavilion structures.
The state-of-the-art exhibition and meeting space would provide an option in downtown Las Vegas to host larger-scale tradeshows, conventions and other exhibitions, including the bi-annual Las Vegas Market, that the existing inventory of event venues can’t support.
“We have been working closely with International Market Centers for some time on this proposal and believe it will fill a need in the downtown area, especially with the closing of Cashman Center,” said Bill Arent, director of Las Vegas Economic & Urban Development Department. “We look forward to presenting this proposal to the City Council.”
The expo is projected to generate $97 million in annual visitor spending in downtown Las Vegas at full occupancy, and $234 million in the Southern Nevada area, according to a release by Las Vegas Market.
International Market Centers will also make the expo center available at times throughout the year to host nonprofit events as designated by the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency.
