Leaders of the Mohegan Tribe and Mohegan Sun revealed official plans for the new Mohegan Sun Expo Center located in Uncasville, Conn. Construction on the project is underway, with a target opening date of summer 2018. The expansion will span over 240,000 square feet, and will be located by the Winter Parking garage and in close proximity to Mohegan Sun’s newest hotel, Earth Tower. The New York based architect firm Kohn Pedersen Fox and the construction team out of North Stonington, Conn., A/Z Corp, are partners on the project.
The Exposition and Convention Center is expected to attract more corporate and association trade shows, in addition to exhibitions such as Barrett-Jackson and the National Association of Postal Supervisors. It gives Mohegan Sun a great opportunity to also expand current consumer geared shows like Terrificon and bring about tech industry shows, golf shows, musical extravaganzas, home-shows, motor sports and hunting & fishing shows. One of the first partnerships announced by assistant GM Jeff Hamilton, is with United Natural Foods, as he alluded to a full-scale food show already in early planning stages for next year.
“This new conference center will help solidify Mohegan Sun as not just the premier conventions destination, but the premier resort in the Northeast region," Kevin Brown, Mohegan tribal chairman, said in a statement. "It will enable us to host some of the largest trade shows in the nation and take back some of the lost conventions that seek bigger venues in Boston and New York."
The Mohegan Sun Expo Center will bring in an estimated 200 jobs, including construction and permanent roles, with an additional 100 supplier jobs anticipated. Other key details and figures include:
- 21,412-square-foot ballroom, divisible into two and featuring over 3,000 net square feet of pre-function space
- The Exposition Center itself, will be 131,000 net square feet
- Free parking, six loading docks from an open parking field and additional drive in access from two grade level drive-in doors
- 18 meeting rooms in total, ranging from 360 square feet to 675 square feet
- A 1,263-square-foot boardroom with 230 square feet of pre-function space and its own outdoor terrace
- 3,600 square feet of outdoor space, which includes a large wrap-around terrace for the full center
- A 5,361-square-foot kitchen
On the design front, the new Expo Center will be a column-free structure with clerestory windows, offering programming within a naturally-lit space. The main circulation spine that connects the exposition hall to the pre-function area also provides access to the overall facility, including the ballroom and adjustable meeting rooms. Along this path, floor-to-ceiling windows and doors lead visitors onto an outdoor patio that adds gathering space in warm weather and buffers the building from Cove Road that loops around the entire site. Greenery extends east to the recently completed Earth Tower, which shares the same grand entry as the Sky Tower. Interior finishes will recall the Tribe’s cultural history, with custom carpeting and light fixtures that reflect Native American motifs, the nearby Thames River and the color palettes of the Earth and Sky Towers. Additional below-grade entertainment tenant space will comprise 20,000 square feet of the total expanse.
Once completed in the summer of 2018, ideally in time for next year’s Barret-Jackson Car Collector’s Auction, Mohegan Sun will be home to the largest meetings and convention spaces between Boston and New York City.