| Washington Convention Center | |
|---|---|
 Main entrance shortly before demolition | |
 | |
| Address | 909 H Street NW |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°54′03″N 77°01′30″W / 38.9007°N 77.025°W |
| Built | 1980–1983 |
| Architect | Welton Becket Associates |
| Opened | December 10, 1982 |
| Closed | 2003 |
| Demolished | December 18, 2004 |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 800,000 sq ft (74,000 m2) |
The Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. was a convention center located at 909 H Street NW, occupying the city block bounded by New York Avenue, 9th Street, H Street, and 11th Street.[1] Construction on the center began in 1980, and it opened on December 10, 1982.[2] At 800,000 square feet (74,000 m2), it was the fourth largest facility in the United States at the time. However, during the 1980s and 1990s, numerous larger and more modern facilities were constructed around the country, and by 1997 the Washington Convention Center had become the 30th largest facility.[3]
After being replaced by the new Walter E. Washington Convention Center one block northeast, the old convention center was demolished via explosive devices at approximately 7:30 a.m. on December 18, 2004, the first implosion in the city since the Capital Garage was razed in 1974.[4][5] Until 2011, the 10-acre (40,000 m2) site was a municipal parking lot that was also used as the intercity bus terminal for Megabus and BoltBus. The site was also used for special events such as Cirque Du Soleil and the home of the Washington Kastles Stadium.[1] However, construction of a new $950 million complex called CityCenterDC on the site began in March 2011.[6]
- ^ a b Old Washington Convention Center Site, WashingtonPost.com City Guide, Retrieved May 9, 2007[dead link]
- ^ Pianin, Eric. "Gala Debut Is Set For Long-Awaited Convention Center." Washington Post. December 10, 1982.
- ^ A History of the Washington Convention Center Washington Convention Center website, Retrieved April 13, 2010 Archived May 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Old Convention Center Imploded NBC4.com, Retrieved May 9, 2007
- ^ Fernandez, Manny (December 17, 2004). "Bringing Down the House; Old Convention Center to Implode Tomorrow in a Flurry of Explosions". The Washington Post.
- ^ Howell, Tom. "CityCenterDC a 'Piece of the Puzzle' Downtown." Washington Times. April 5, 2011.