The idea of expanding the Convention Center has long been on the table.
Comic-Con, the comics and pop culture extravaganza that’s become an annual mainstay of San Diego tourism, helped motivate that expansion. But while some have argued Comic-Con will bail if the city doesn’t get its act together – and fast – on a contiguous expansion, the massive event has certainly made do with that it’s got.
Comic-Con’s learned to branch out beyond the Convention Center to accommodate its lengthy list of programs and panels during the four-day gathering. Spreading out around downtown has made it possible for Comic-Con to stay in San Diego, spokesman David Glanzer said.
But there’s been another sticking point in deciding Comic-Con’s future (for the record, the event is slated to stick around through 2018): hotel room blocks.
On this San Diego Explained, NBC 7’s Catherine Garcia and Lisa Halverstadt lay out the back-and-forth between event organizers, city officials and hoteliers.