The recently completed $38 million project, the largest renovation project in Tampa Convention Center (TCC) history, includes a series of capital improvements to better accommodate conferences and conventions held in the Tampa Bay region.
Alterations include a 2,183-m2 (23,500 square meters) expansion of the facility and 1,672 m22 (18,000 square meters) of new waterfront rooms that will offer flexible spaces for meetings and events.
Skanska USA (Skanska) and project design partner Baker Barrios Architects, in collaboration with Convergence Design, provided master planning services for the major facility expansion.
As the convention center facilities remained operational during the construction phase and due to the limited amount of storage space available on site, the Skanska construction team turned to one of Tampa Bay’s premier amenities for support: its pristine waterfront. To reduce the requirement for 75 trailer deliveries, the company employed the use of floating platforms to store and transport more than 700 pieces of structural steel to the project site.
Additional work completed as part of the convention center renovation included an extensive HVAC system upgrade, which included rebuilding 16 air handling units and installing two rooftop air handling units with two energy recovery ventilation units.
Originally built in 1990, renovations to the convention center included improvements to the busy Tampa Riverwalk, including the installation of new guardrails, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a metal canopy roof and new column wraps. Another significant improvement was the installation of new signage for the Tampa Convention Center, complete with multi-colored exterior light-emitting diode (LED) lettering and three rows of colored lights added to the facade to illuminate the Tampa skyline and highlight the convention center’s prime location.
“The city of Tampa is a world-class destination, [it is] deserves an enhanced convention center that complements its economic and demographic growth,” says Chuck Jablon, senior vice president of construction for Skanska’s Florida building operations. “By executing the modernization of the Tampa Convention Center, Skanska is proud to have helped bring that vision to life and deliver a project that will provide long-term economic value to the community.”
