Orange County Convention Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orange County Convention Center |
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North concourse of convention center (c.2007)
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| Address | 9860 Universal Blvd Orlando, FL 32819-8706 |
| Location | Convention Center District |
| Coordinates | 28°25′38″N 81°27′50″W / 28.4271846°N 81.4639235°W |
| Owner | Orange County Government |
| Inaugurated | February 25, 1983 |
| Opened | February 26, 1983 |
| Renovated | 1987-89, 1990, 1996-97, 1998, 2000-03, 2008 |
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Construction cost
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$54 million ($192 million in 2022 dollars ) |
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Former names
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Orange County Convention and Civic Center (1983-92) |
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Classroom-style seating
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160 (Lecture Hall) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 3,600 (Valencia Room) 3,120 (Tangerine Ballroom) 480 (Sunburst Room) |
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Theatre seating
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2,643 (Chapin Theater) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 7,000,000 sq ft (650,000 m2) |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 2,053,820 sq ft (190,806 m2) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 479,190 sq ft (44,518 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 155,656 sq ft (14,460.9 m2) |
| Parking | 6,227 |
| Public transit access |   8, 38, 42, 58, 111 |
The Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) is a huge building in Orlando, Florida. It's a place where big meetings, shows, and events happen. When it first opened in 1983, it was called the Orange County Convention and Civic Center.
Today, the OCCC is the main convention center for the Central Florida area. It's also the second-largest convention center in the entire United States. Only McCormick Place in Chicago is bigger!
The OCCC has a massive 7,000,000 sq ft (650,000 m2) of space. About 2,100,000 sq ft (200,000 m2) of this space is used for exhibits. You can find the center on the south end of International Drive, which is a very popular tourist area in Orlando. The roof of one part of the center even has solar panels. These panels help power the building with clean energy.
The first building of the OCCC, called the "West Concourse," used to have a large arena. From 1983 to 1992, this arena hosted concerts by famous artists. Bands like Madonna, Tina Turner, Styx, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe performed there. After a new arena opened in 1989, the OCCC's arena closed in 1992. It was then changed into a main exhibition hall in 1996.
In 2012, the American Institute of Architects's Florida group recognized the OCCC. They put it on their list of "Florida Architecture: 100 Years. 100 Places." This shows how important and well-designed the building is.
Contents
How the Convention Center Grew
The idea for the Orange County Convention and Civic Center started in 1977. Florida passed a law that let counties collect a special "Tourist Development Tax." This tax is a small extra charge on hotel room stays. Voters in Orange County had to approve it first. In 1978, they voted yes to a 2% tax. This money would be used to build the convention center.
Later that year, the county decided where to build the center. It would be on International Drive in Orlando Central Park. They planned for a building with 325,000 sq ft (30,200 m2) of space. The landowners agreed to donate the land for the first building. They also gave the county a chance to buy more land for future growth.
Building the First Phase
The first part of the OCCC was finished on February 25, 1983. It cost $54 million to build. The famous Boston Pops Orchestra played at the grand opening on February 26, 1983. The next day, 14,000 people came to an open house to see the new center.
Growing Bigger Over Time
In 1984, the county bought more land for $2 million. They started planning for a second phase of building. In 1986, the state allowed the Tourist Development Tax to be raised to 3%. Building for Phase II began in February 1987. It was completed in January 1989. This added 150,000 sq ft (14,000 m2) of exhibition space. It also added 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) of meeting and support space.
Soon after, the tax was raised again to 4%. The county then approved three more building phases. They also decided to improve the Citrus Bowl stadium.
Phase IIA was finished in December 1990. It added 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) more space for offices and registration. In 1992, the word "Civic" was removed from the center's name. It became simply the Orange County Convention Center.
Phase III was completed in January 1996. It added 383,400 sq ft (35,620 m2) of exhibition space. This cost $219.5 million. Phase IV followed in August, adding another 367,200 sq ft (34,110 m2) of exhibition space. It also added about 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) more meeting space. By 1998, the OCCC had over 1,103,538 sq ft (102,522.0 m2) of exhibition space. The total building space was more than 4,000,000 sq ft (370,000 m2).
The New North/South Building
In 1998, the county got approval for a fifth cent on the Tourist Development Tax. This was for a huge Phase V expansion. This new phase would add 3,000,000 sq ft (280,000 m2) of space to the OCCC. They bought 239 acres (97 ha) of land across International Drive for this project.
Building for Phase V began in August 2000. It opened early in September 2003. Today, the first four phases are called the "West Building." Phase V is known as the "North/South Building." It has two large exhibition halls that can be joined together. The North/South Building has 950,282 sq ft (88,284.1 m2) of exhibition space. A special bridge was built over International Drive. This bridge connects the two main buildings.
In 2004, the OCCC helped with relief efforts after several hurricanes. It served as a staging area for supplies and aid.
Connecting Hotels
Many hotels are connected to the OCCC. The Hilton Orlando, a large 1400-room hotel, opened in 2009. It connects to the South Concourse with a covered walkway. The Hyatt Regency Orlando, with 1641 rooms, also connects directly to the center. It uses the Oversight Pedestrian Bridge and the Hyatt Skywalk. Other hotels like Rosen Plaza and Rosen Centre also have covered bridges. These bridges make it easy and safe for people to walk to the convention center.
In 2019, plans were made for another expansion. This would add 340,000 sq ft (32,000 m2) to the North/South Concourse.
What You'll Find at the OCCC
The OCCC is made up of two main buildings. They are connected by a covered bridge. The West Building opened in phases from 1983 to 1996. It's on the south side of International Drive. The North/South Building was finished in 2003. It's on the north side of International Drive.
Here's what the OCCC includes:
- 2,100,000 square feet (200,000 m2) of space for exhibits. This includes two large general assembly areas.
- 74 meeting rooms and 235 smaller breakout rooms.
- The Chapin Theater, which can seat 2,643 people for big shows.
- A Lecture Hall with 200 seats.
- The Tangerine Ballroom, a large space of 48,600-square-foot (4,520 m2).
- The Valencia Room, a multi-purpose space of 62,000-square-foot (5,800 m2).
- Three full restaurants and eight food courts.
- Three business centers.
- Services like electricity, plumbing, and technical support are available. There's also wireless internet throughout the center.
- Parking for 6,227 cars.
- Three covered loading docks and 173 truck bays for events.
Impact on the Economy
The OCCC is very important for the economy of Central Florida. It hosts events that bring about 1.5 million people to the area each year. This brings in about $2.5 billion to the local economy.
