Officials break ground in Pomona for long-awaited Fairplex Conference Center

POMONA - It took a decade to get to this point, but Thursday local and federal officials along with members of the Los Angeles County Fair Association were among those celebrating the groundbreaking for the future Fairplex Conference Center.

Fairplex personnel have been working since about 2000 on the project, taking years to put together financing for what will be an 85,000-square foot, $30 million facility.

By the time it's completed in March 2011, the project will be "a wonderful community benefit," said Richard Crean, chairman of the board of the Los Angeles County Fair Association.

The construction is expected to generate close to 500 jobs and almost 300 full-time jobs once the center goes into operation, according to information from Fairplex.

The center will involve Fairplex's 35,000-square-foot Building 8 which is just a short distance from the Sheraton Suite Fairplex.

A 50,000-square-foot addition will be built on the side of the building closest to White Avenue.

The product will be a mid-sized facility that will accommodate trade shows, corporate meetings and community groups without competing with much larger facilities such as the Ontario Convention Center, said Mike Seder, vice president of finance and chief financial officer of the Fair Association, after the ceremony.

Fairplex Conference Center will provide facilities for those who need something bigger than what the Sheraton Suites Fairplex currently offers.

The center will be able to accommodate banquets for up to 1,000 guests in addition to having large conference rooms, small meeting rooms, and classrooms for break-out sessions that will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology for use in teleconferences.

Not only will community groups find a spot for a meeting, the facility will be able to accommodate meetings for those interested in international trade, Seder said.

During the L.A. County Fair the center could possibly become home to some of its food and wine activities, Seder said.

With a date for completion set, Fairplex has already begun to market the center, he said.

Rep. Grace Napolitano, D-Santa Fe Springs, said after the ceremony she was able to secure a total of $1.9 million for the project over a five-year period.

The project has been worth the effort because she could see the benefits to the city and the region.

She also so the potential for employment opportunities.

"We want them to develop jobs to hire people in this area," she said.

Also present was Rep. David Dreier, R-San Dimas, who has also supported the project.

Fairplex plays an important role on many levels. It is often the site where people achieve their goal of becoming American citizens and it has played a role in helping others exercising their right to vote, Dreier said.

Such was the case of thousands of Iraqi natives living across the western United States who converged on Fairplex to cast their votes in the first election following the fall of Sadam Hussein, he said.

Since a large part of the goods imported to and exported out of the country make their way through this area at some point, the center will likely play a role in international trade, Dreier said.

"If we don't shape the global economy we will be shaped by it," Dreier said.

The project will be paid for with a combination of funding sources including federal grants, Los Angeles County assistance, Pomona Redevelopment Agency funding and Fairplex's own funds.

The Fairplex Conference Center will be a green project.

Designs for the facility produced in 1999 were reviewed and updated about a year and a half ago, said Dwight Richards, vice president of operations for the Fair Association.

The building will have a system to collect rain water to be be used for irrigation, and native drought tolerant plants will be used in the landscaping, he said.

Bike racks and shower facilities for employees will be available, Richards said.

Energy-efficient materials will allow the building to save energy, he said.

Although some of the improvements bumped up costs about 5 percent, the upgrades have earned certification from from the International Association of Conference Centers and others for its green design, Richards said.

As part of the project work will take place create a plaza area that connects the hotel to the center, he said.