Florida Construction News staff writer
Construction on a major expansion of the Orange County Convention Center is set to begin in 2026 following a groundbreaking ceremony for the $560 million Grand Concourse Expansion, a project aimed at increasing capacity and improving connectivity within the facility.
The expansion will enhance the convention center’s North-South Building by adding a new entryway, improved circulation between concourses and significant new event space. Plans include a 100,000-square-foot flexible grand ballroom, 44,000 square feet of meeting room space and additional multipurpose areas to accommodate larger events and conferences.
“We believe that this will translate into ensuring that the convention center produces a return on that investment of over $5 billion,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demmings said at the ceremony.
Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and continue through 2029.
In addition to the Grand Concourse project, county officials have approved design work for a second phase of expansion to add 200,000 square feet of contiguous multipurpose exhibit space and further improve connectivity between the North and South Concourses.
