| Ernest N. Morial Convention Center | |
|---|---|
 Convention center seen from northwest corner | |
 Interactive map of Ernest N. Morial Convention Center | |
| Address | 900 Convention Center Blvd New Orleans, LA 70130 |
| Owner | Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority |
| Built | 1978–1984 |
| Opened | 1985 |
| Renovated | 2006, 2013, 2018-2029 |
Theatre seating | 4,032 |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 3,000,000square feet (280,000 m2) |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 1,100,000square feet (100,000 m2) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 58,152square feet (5,400 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 60,300square feet (5,600 m2) The Great Hall 36,000square feet (3,300 m2) La Nouvelle Orleans |
| Website | |
| www | |
TheErnest N. Morial Convention Center is located inDowntown New Orleans,Louisiana, United States. The lower end of building one is located 1,640 feet (500 m) upriver fromCanal Street on the banks of theMississippi River. It is named after formerMayor of New OrleansErnest Nathan Morial.
It has about 1.1 million sq. ft. (102,000 m2) of exhibit space, covering almost 11 blocks, and over 3 million sq. ft. (280,000 m2) of total space, making it the seventh largest convention center in the United States. The front of the main building is 1 kilometer long.
The center was planned starting in 1978. It is the fifth-largest facility of its kind in the United States, and as of early 2005 was the second-busiest. The first portion of the building was constructed as part of the1984 Louisiana World Exposition; a series of additions in subsequentdecades expanded the center further upriver. The complex was named in honor ofErnest N. Morial, the city's first African American mayor, in 1992. In 2008, the center was renamed the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in order to emphasize its New Orleans location.[1]
From August 26 through 27, 2005,Wheel of Fortune came to tape three weeks of shows at the convention center. But asHurricane Katrina threatened the area, they canceled the last week in order to evacuate. Inthe aftermath of Katrina, the Convention Center was the second most important shelter for survivors, after theLouisiana Superdome. After serving as a temporary medical clinic for some time, the structure again began welcoming conventions in early 2006, including that of theAmerican Library Association.
After Hurricane Katrina passed through the city in 2005, thousands of evacuees were directed to the Convention Center as an unofficialevacuation center. In the confusion following the disaster, people escaping fromflooded neighborhoods were directed to the Convention Center by police and word of mouth, with the expectation that there would be provisions, aid, and evacuationbuses there. However no such resources were there for several days.[2]
Around 20,000–25,000[3] people gathered at the complex in difficult conditions with no power, no water, no food, no medical supplies, no propersanitation, and with only minimal occasionallaw enforcement presence within the center, resulting in incidents ofcrime andgang violence.[4] There were reports of multiple deaths at the center, from causes including violence,dehydration, and lack ofmedication for the ill.[5]
The poor conditions and lack of prompt government response at the convention center were revealed to the nation on several TV news networks includingCNN andFox. Secretary ofHomeland SecurityMichael Chertoff falsely claimed to be unaware of any problem with conditions even after the networks had been broadcasting images and live reports from the Convention Center.[6] The Morial Convention Center was declared evacuated on September 4.
The Convention Center finished a complete renovation of the facility in November 2006. A previously scheduled expansion project, which would add 524,000 square feet (48,700 m2) of exhibition space in a new building, has been temporarily delayed. The 2006 renovations included the creation of the 4,032-seat New Orleans Theater, aconcert hall used primarily forconcerts,Broadway stage shows, and other special events.
In 2013, the convention center completed a $52 million dollar revamp of Hall A into a 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) column free ballroom known as the Great Hall and 26,000 square feet (2,400 m2) prefunction space. The renovation includes a new entrance on the Julia St. side[7]
Since 2018, the Convention Center is currently undergoing a $557 million multi-phased renovation and upgrades includes new energy-efficient roofing system, technology upgrades in the meeting rooms, linear park, and lobby improvement with the completion date set for late 2029. On Jan. 30, the Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority approved a headquarters hotel development agreement and ground lease agreement with Omni Hotels & Resorts to develop a 1,000-room headquarters hotel andan additional 100,000 sq ft. meeting room, that will anchor the convention center[8]
| Preceded by | Miss Universe venue 2022 | Succeeded by |
29°56′23″N90°03′46″W / 29.939651°N 90.062871°W /29.939651; -90.062871
