Initial Planning, Construction, Expansion

In 1969, under the jurisdiction of the city's Department of Recreation & Parks, construction for the new Los Angeles Convention Center began on 35 acres of cleared land in the southwest corner of DTLA.  West Hall, originally named Yorty Hall after Mayor Sam Yorty, was the first to be built.  On July 11, 1971, the facility officially opened, ushering in a new era for events in Los Angeles.      

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  • The LACC became an independent city entity, known as the Municipal Auditorium Department (MAD) in 1971. In 1991, MAD was renamed the Los Angeles Convention Center Department.
  • The facility originally featured a 210,000 square foot exhibit hall and a 21,000 square foot special events hall.
  • The 99,500 square foot North Hall was added in 1981.Screenshot 2021-03-09 114138.jpg
  • A massive tornado hit West Hall in 1983, tearing off one-third of the roof and  damaging the south face of the building. LACC successfully completed the repairs without canceling a single event.
  • South Hall was added in 1993 with an additional 347,000 square feet of exhibit space. The expansion was designed by world-renowned I.M. Pei & Partners & Gruen Associates.
  • The newly expanded center features major works of art made possible through an art-in-architecture grant. Artist worksmattmullican1_sm.jpg alexissmith3_sm.jpginclude Alexis Smith’s terrazzo maps on the floors of the West and South Lobby Towers and Matt Mullican’s etched panels along the Concourse walkway.
  • In 1995, the area in front of West Hall was renamed Gilbert Lindsay Plaza in honor of the late 9th District Councilmember. 
  • The dual-purpose Kentia Hall, located directly below South Hall, was completed in 1997, adding an additional 162,000 square feet of exhibit space (or room for 415 parked cars).
  • North Hall was demolished in 1998 to make room for the Staples Center.10.jpg
  • In 2001, LADWP completed the installation of 3,400 solar panels on the Cherry Street parking structure.  The project makes the LACC the largest solar energy generating building in North America. 
  • In 2008, the LACC became the largest US convention center to achieve LEED-EB O&M Gold Certification.
  • L.A. Live opened in 2010, creating a vibrant DTLA entertainment district comprised of the LACC, the Staples Center and L.A. Live.
  • In 2013, LACC transitioned to private management with AEG Facilities becoming the center’s first private operator.  AEG Facilities merged with SMG in 2019 to create ASM Global, now the Center operator.IMG_0629.jpg
  • In 2018, a 2.21 megawatt solar array was installed on the roof of South Hall, equating to 17% of the LACC’s annual energy usage.  At the time it was the largest solar array on a municipally owned convention center.