Aria to get $154 million convention center expansion

MGM Resorts International will spend $154 million to expand the Aria Resort & Casino convention center by 200,000 square feet, which will include indoor/open-air spaces and a glass-enclosed venue offering views of The Park and the new Las Vegas Arena.

The new convention space will take the space currently occupied by Cirque du Soleil's production of "Zarkana," which will close April 30.

With completion of the expansion, Aria will offer more than 500,000 square feet of meeting space.

Construction is scheduled to start in May — a month after the $350 million arena opens — with anticipated completion in February 2018.

The Aria expansion will include technologically advanced, flexible meeting space across four stories.

"Convention business at Aria is booming, and demand is currently exceeding the space we have available," Aria President Bobby Baldwin said. "Hosting large meetings and conventions is a core part of our business. As our clients' needs grow, we are committed to grow with them."

Aria's convention center was built to LEED Gold standards as will the expansion.

The facility's top floor will have an outdoor patio that can accommodate receptions for up to 2,000 guests.