San Diego Convention Center Phase I & II, San Diego, CA

Located in the heart of the Marina District, the San Diego Convention Center is surrounded by world-class dining, hotels, and entertainment. With incredible panoramic views of San Diego Bay and five-star service, the San Diego Convention Center is the premier west coast event destination and a meeting planner’s dream.

Syska has been an integral part of the Convention Center’s development – providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection services for Phase I and Phase II expansions.

The Convention Center’s initial Phase I development, completed in 1989, included a central plant with gas absorption chillers, which minimized electricity costs during the utility company’s peak demand periods. The design provided each individual exhibit hall with unique controls so that indoor temperatures and preferences could be tailored to events of any size. For the largest conventions, medium voltage electrical services provided the additional necessary power.

The success of the Convention Center’s initial expansion prompted the City to support a second development; Phase II included a 525,701 sf column-free adjoining exhibit space with an additional 763,122 sf of meeting and ballroom spaces, lobbies, and outdoor terraces.

Phase II nearly doubled the facility, adding 292,000 sf to the existing exhibition space and 40,706 sf to ballrooms, not to mention 21 additional flexible meeting rooms totaling 60,000 sf. To further optimize utility costs, the central plant was also expanded with electric chillers that could utilize both natural gas and electric driven equipment.

The design and construction of Phase II had to accommodate the continuous operations and conventions during the expansion. Syska developed solutions to expand MEP systems and utilities while maintaining service the existing halls and spaces. When necessary, overlapping shut-downs of various services were designed to occur during a single night, allowing for uninterrupted daytime operations.