A bigger future for Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia region was commemorated today when the first building in the footprint of the Pennsylvania Convention Center expansion was demolished. Representatives from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, and Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau spoke prior to the demolition on the important role that the larger convention center will play for years to come in creating new jobs and building a stronger economy in the region and the state.

"We call this the Pennsylvania Convention Center because it benefits the entire commonwealth, not just the Philadelphia region," Governor Edward G. Rendell said in a statement. "Supporting this expansion is vital to our goal of improving the state's economy by investing in jobs and stimulating travel to the commonwealth.”

"The construction of the expansion alone will create nearly 2,500 jobs for the duration of the project, with at least $300 million in total earnings,” said Michael J. Masch, the state Secretary of the Budget and an ex officio member of the Convention Center Authority board. “The expanded convention center will support almost 19,000 jobs for Pennsylvanians. Expansion construction will generate at least $10 million in annual Pennsylvania income tax revenues. And when the expanded center is up and running, it is expected to generate total spending of nearly $1.1 billion each year.”

Hundreds of expansion supporters watched as Ben Franklin cut a 200-foot “kite string” attached to the “key to the expansion door” and activated the first smash by a 2,000-plus pound wrecking ball into the roof of a three-story brick building at 122 N. 13th Street. The building was the first structure to be demolished and make way for the much anticipated Pennsylvania Convention Center expansion.

“The convention center has been a huge hospitality engine for Philadelphia from the time it opened in 1993, and its expansion will only enhance that momentum and help us move full speed ahead as a premier tourism destination,” said Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street. “The spectacular addition will certainly bring great benefits to North Broad Street, but it will also spark more economic development for our entire city, and generate jobs and opportunities for our citizens.”

Once completed, the Pennsylvania Convention Center will be able to accommodate the largest conventions and tradeshows, or host two major conventions simultaneously, with one million square feet of saleable space – more than doubling the building’s current size. The center will also feature the largest convention ballroom space on the East Coast and a total of 87 meeting rooms. For customers, this means more available booking dates and flexible space. For the community, this means 2,000 new hospitality-related jobs equaling more than $150 million in regional economic impact annually.

“There have been so many people from across the entire region who have been instrumental in getting us to this historic day,” said Buck Riley, chairman of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority. “My late friend, Bill Rouse, who was the first chairman of the convention center authority, paved the way for this expansion project. And he would be proud of the hard work, dedication, and regional partnership that took place to bring us to this day.”

"For weeks now, I've been telling people that by investing in the expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, the State is investing in people, not just in Philadelphia, but in the whole region," said State Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Philadelphia), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who was instrumental in securing state funding for the project. "This is a jobs program - it's good for everybody: it's good for unions, for contractors, for suppliers, for businesses. The impact of this project will be felt throughout the community and for a generation to come."

“Funding for the convention center expansion enjoyed bipartisan support in the Senate and the House,” said Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Chester/Delaware). “That happened because this expansion will make the Pennsylvania Convention Center a world-class asset that benefits our region and the entire state.”

Today, the convention and group meeting market is responsible for 40 percent of the total hotel room nights used each year in Philadelphia – well above the national average of 27 percent. In the long-term, with expansion, an additional 280,000 hotel room nights will be booked through additional convention attendees for an additional $140 million in regional economic impact annually. The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau has already booked more than $1.2 billion in future business into the expanded convention center.

“Before 1993 when the current convention center opened, Philadelphia had very few hotels, restaurants, shopping districts, and other hospitality services that today are fixtures in what makes Philadelphia such a great city for visitors and those who work and live in the region,” said Nick DeBenedictis, chairman of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Expansion has already stimulated more growth, including plans for new hotels that are expected to add an additional 2,000 hotel rooms into our inventory.”

“This demolition is one of the most exciting events in this city’s history,” said Michael Nutter, former chairman of the PCC and democratic nominee for Mayor of Philadelphia. “The expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center will provide jobs, economic development, and cultural enrichment for the entire region. But most importantly, this expansion will catapult Philadelphia into the highest leadership ranks of convention centers in the world. I am very proud of our collective accomplishment.”