Since opening with much anticipation and fanfare on May 1, 1997, the Atlantic City Convention Center has become "Your Northeast Business Address", hosting a wide array of premier events from large public shows, conventions and trade shows, to meetings and conferences. Erected at a cost of $268 million, the building is one of the largest and most expensive public projects in the city's history, and
was built under the auspices of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). It was the centerpiece of a multi-billion dollar redevelopment plan which included The Walk, a retail and entertainment complex, numerous Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA)-funded neighborhood partnerships, the Boardwalk Hall renovation, the Grand Boulevard, the Sheraton Convention Center Hotel, and new casino expansion projects. The Atlantic City Convention Center is owned and funded by the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA). Spectra provides both Venue Management and Food Services & Hospitality to the Atlantic City Convention Center. The Convention Center, designed to incorporate and reflect Atlantic City's seaside location, won the prestigious "Award of Excellence in Architectural Design" from the Pennsylvania Society of Architects. A regional décor is evident throughout the building, from the wave-inspired carpeting and granite flooring to the atrium's Rock Bar, an attractive setting for any event planner. Visitors entering the building are welcomed by a 90-foot high skylit atrium lobby complete with a lobby concierge, sculptures and art. Artist Jonathan Borofsky created the five flying fish sculptures suspended above the atrium floor. Twenty seven cast stone sculptures, created by Thomas Van Dyke of Prospect Park and cast by American Trim Stone of Haskell, are inset into the atrium walls and represent local sea life such as starfish, crabs and seahorses. The fourth floor showcases artist William Wegman's photographic exhibit entitled Six Scenic Scenes that depicts his famous weimaraners in costume and participating in activities found throughout New Jersey. Both Borofsky's and Wegman's creations were commissioned through New Jersey's Public Buildings Art Inclusion Act of 1978. Wallace Roberts & Todd of Philadelphia, Pa is the architect and landscape architect of the Center, a project undertaken in joint venture with STV Incorporated, Engineers. The facility contains 500,000 contiguous square feet of space and occupies a site of nearly 31 acres, making it one of the East Coast's largest Convention Centers. Five spacious exhibit halls are located on the building's second level, ranging in size from 29,400 square feet to 199,500 square feet. The rooms can be contracted individually, adjoined or easily configured to meet a client's needs. Hall A, at 29,400 square feet, can be transformed into a ballroom or banquet hall. Services available in each exhibit hall include electric, water, voice/data, exhaust, compressed air, drain, and MATV. A Show Manager's Office, Press Office and securable storage space are also conveniently located adjacent to each exhibit hall. The Center's 45 meeting rooms surround the expansive atrium lobby and total 109,100 square feet. Room dimensions range from 11,880 square feet to 672 square feet. The rooms' amenities include soundproof panels, assisted listening systems and voice, video and data communications capabilities. The facility's ample pre-function space, more than 32,000 square feet, is well suited to registration, retail or dining needs. The building is served by 29 covered loading docks, four drive-in doors, mechanical elevators, and 1,400 indoor parking spaces. It is connected with the Atlantic City Rail Terminal that runs the Atlantic City Line from Philadelphia to Atlantic City. Jitneys, buses and taxis queue at the front of the building to provide service to other points within the city. A pedestrian airbridge links the Convention Center to the adjoining Sheraton Hotel. Located within a few hours drive of nearly one third of the nation's population and 20 percent of the country's business addresses, the convention center is easily accessible for convention, trade show and meeting attendees. The Atlantic City Convention Center is committed to preserving its unique seaside environment while providing a safe, healthy atmosphere for our guests. "Going Green" has consistently been one of the Center's main operating objectives. Several initiatives have already been implemented throughout the facility while others are in the works. Management remains committed to exploring new opportunities to better conserve and reuse our valuable resources through recycling, retrofitting and seeking alternatives to energy. In June 2008, Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM) was awarded a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC) to install the largest single roof-mounted solar array in the United States. Under the 20-year contract, Pepco Energy Services will build, own, operate and maintain the 2.36-megawatt solar array for the Atlantic City Convention Center.
