ORLANDO, Fla. – (August 6, 2019) The Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) has authorized its staff to begin contract negotiations with Populous + C.T. Hsu, a Joint Venture to provide architectural and engineering design services for the Orange County Convention Center’s (OCCC) North-South Building Expansion. The selection was made at the Aug. 6 BCC meeting.

“The growth and innovation at the Orange County Convention Center speaks to the strength of our region’s tourism and business corridors,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. “This enhancement continues to sharpen our competitive edge and maintains our position as a dynamic location for conventions, tradeshows and guests from around the globe.”

In July 2018, the Orange County BCC approved a $605 million Capital Improvement Project for two proposed Campus Master Plan projects. Those projects are the Convention Way Grand Concourse and the Multipurpose Venue.

• Convention Way Grand Concourse is an enclosed connection between the North and South concourses that includes an additional 60,000 square feet of additional meeting room program and an 80,000-square-foot ballroom. It provides a new grand entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way.
• The Multipurpose Venue is a 200,000-square-foot, flexible, divisible, column-free space with a combination of retractable and floor seating to accommodate between 18,000 to 20,000 guests.  This project will also incorporate connectivity between the North and South concourses.

These projects will vastly improve the OCCC’s North-South Building, create greater flexibility in booking events, and will keep North America’s second-largest convention center at the forefront of the convention industry. The expected completion of both projects is the fourth quarter of 2023.

"We are pleased to begin work with Populous + C.T. Hsu, a Joint Venture on a project that will significantly improve the convention center as we continue to meet the growing needs of our clients," said OCCC Acting Executive Director David Ingram. "Populous + C.T. Hsu, a Joint Venture has a long-standing partnership with our community that will be advantageous in planning and implementing these projects."

AECOM, a premier, fully integrated global infrastructure firm, was contracted by the OCCC to provide owner’s representative services for the North-South Building Expansion. AECOM began supporting the program earlier this year.

                                                                                                                  # # #
About Populous
Populous is a global architectural design firm specializing in creating environments and venues that draw communities and people together. With more than 3,000 projects, Populous has received more than 250 global design awards for work in 34 countries. Populous has 600 employees spanning four continents. www.populous.com

About C.T. Hsu + Associates
C.T. Hsu + Associates is an Orlando-based architectural planning and design firm named 2006 “Firm of the Year” by the American Institute of Architects, Florida Association. Established in 1984, the firm focuses on a mix of mid to large scale projects, using a multidisciplinary approach that ranges from urban planning and design to architecture and interiors.  www.cthsu.com
 

About AECOM

AECOM is built to deliver a better world. We design, build, finance and operate critical infrastructure assets for governments, businesses and organizations. As a fully integrated firm, we connect knowledge and experience across our global network of experts to help clients solve their most complex challenges. From high-performance buildings and infrastructure, to resilient communities and environments, to stable and secure nations, our work is transformative, differentiated and vital. A Fortune 500 firm, AECOM had revenue of approximately $20.2 billion during fiscal year 2018. See how we deliver what others can only imagine at www.aecom.com and @AECOM.
 

About the Orange County Convention Center

The Orange County Convention Center is the second-largest convention facility in North America and provides approximately $3 billion in economic impact to Central Florida annually. In recent years, the Convention Center has averaged nearly 200 events, including 115 conventions and tradeshows that attract more than 1.5 million attendees to the region each year. For more information about the Orange County Convention Center, visit www.occc.net.