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Okay, one more SDCC story for the day: The long dreamed of convention center expansion got a little closer to reality when
hotel owners agreed to a tax hike that will pay for the expansion over the next 30 years.

In a city-authorized private election, 92 percent of the “weighted votes” involving some 200 hotels went in favor of room-tax hikes ranging from 1 to 3 percent.

The extra charges to guests would raise more than a billion dollars over 30 years — roughly 75 percent of the expansion project’s construction and bond costs.

“The vote is not only good for hotels and the visitors industry,” said Mayor Jerry Sanders. “It’s better news for our economy. This expansion will create 11,000 jobs — 4,000 construction jobs and 7,000 permanent jobs.”


The expansion and extra taxes remain controversial locally—some legal challenges are possible—and Comic-Con is still the main reason for the increase, although it’s hoped other shows will step up once it takes place.

he above image shows the proposed expansion, which will include a rooftop park, a promenade, shops, and enough room for a Big Bang Theory panel and a Klingon gathering to take place simultaneously.

1 COMMENT

  1. “some legal challenges are possible”…

    Hahahahahahaha!!!!

    I love my home town, but it is filled with NIMBY morons that can’t tell the difference between tourists getting taxed and paying for a project themselves. There are multiple lawsuits filed over every public project in San Diego. Even though the money spent on the Convention Center has helped drive economic growth in the downtown area, the news would be if no lawsuits are filed.

  2. The primary issue I see is how a select few were allowed to raise taxes, even though those taxes were against tourist and not the tax payer. By bypassing the voters entirely, it could start a slippery slope of select individuals allowing to raise taxes without question.

    Still, expanding the convention center will not be enough. Moving the convention center will not be enough. The draw that Comic-Con brings in will fill any convention center to max capacity after a few years again. The lines to get into a panel alone will be horrendous.

    Best solution; split it into two separate cons, one for Comics and the other for pop culture.

  3. @Jake If I remember correctly, their argument is they are a self appointed group that is raising revenue on people who utilize their facilities and they can then allocate that money as the see fit. This would allow them to circumvent the CA tax code. As I understand it this isn’t the first time they’ve done this, but there have been challenges.

  4. So let me get this straight – a few wealthy hotel owners, (1% er’s), have no problem raising taxes on visitors to San Diego (most likely middle-class 99%er’s), but raising taxes on 1%er’s across the country is a terrible idea?