Morabito Consultants provided structural engineering services for the multi-phase expansion and renovation of the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland. The project enhanced the facility’s size, flexibility, and performance capabilities while strengthening its role as a premier event, convention, and entertainment destination along Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The work included expanded exhibit hall space, a bayfront ballroom addition, a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 6,000-square-foot bayfront gallery, and expanded loading and support areas to improve event operations and visitor experience. These improvements increased the convention center’s capacity while creating flexible spaces for conferences, trade shows, banquets, cultural events, and community gatherings.
A key feature of the expansion is the 1,200-seat Ocean City Performing Arts Center, designed with tiered theater seating, advanced lighting and audio-visual systems, and dedicated performance support spaces. Recognized with the Engineering News-Record Mid-Atlantic Award of Merit, the venue expanded the convention center’s ability to host concerts, theatrical performances, entertainment events, and large-scale public functions.