November 11, 2010
Not Comics: Proposed Design For San Diego Convention Center Cheaper Than Expected; Includes Park
A pair of
wire stories popping up since yesterday indicate that the city of San Diego has selected architect Curt Fentress' $700 million design proposal as a way to expand the city's convention center, the home for several regional and national trade conventions and the current headquarters of Comic-Con International. The property would expand east towards the new Hilton, and the additions would include a rooftop space that would open up the convention to the waterfront and provide a concert venue, perfect for my hobbling-around-the-show-being-grumpy, complaining-about-the-old-days years. The expansion plans for the facility are a key to Comic-Con's future relationship with the city, as the show has been and will in the near future continue to be operating with a cap on its attendance. No mechanism is in place to pay for the additions, and a figure that suggests $17 million in yearly revenues and, therefore, a 45-year recovery period for the outlay may seem odd to some folks.
Fentress is probably best known for designing Denver International Airport, an ambitious facility whose reputation has strongly rebounded since initial, boondoggle-type criticisms.
posted 11:00 am PST |
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