Santa Clara additions

The Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif., plans to officially open its multi-purpose 22,400-sq.-ft. Mission City Ballroom July 16. The $37 million expansion project brings the convention center to 302,000 square feet. The ballroom features plasma screens in the lobby, skylights for natural lighting and an adjacent kitchen.

The Santa Clara City Council is considering whether to build a new San Francisco 49ers stadium, which would also provide meeting space. According to a report released in June, a stadium (with 109,000 square feet of meeting space) could bring revenue to the convention center across the street. Officials say the deal will not be proposed until March 2010, after the Santa Clara city residents vote on the stadium. The $916 million plan, featuring a 68,500-seat stadium, could help eliminate the city’s $300,000 convention center subsidy, ultimately producing an estimated revenue of $157,000 a year for Santa Clara, according to city officials.