Downtown Seattle’s convention center is about to grow. A lot.

written by Sheila G. Miller

The Washington State Convention Center already offers more than 205,000 square feet for exhibits, as well as 45,000 square feet of ballroom spaces and 57,000 square feet of meeting space. But thanks to a $1.6 billion expansion, the convention center is going to more than double in size.
The project is expected to add 255,000 square feet of exhibit space, and according to Pine Street Group, the developer, sponsors expect the project will create 6,000 construction jobs and 2,300 hospitality jobs.

Construction is expected to begin in 2018, and the expansion is expected to open in 2021. Planning began in 2015, and the project cleared a big hurdle in June when the Metropolitan King County Council agreed to sell its downtown bus station to the project.