Construction begins in May for the Seaside Civic and Convention Center expansion project.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, councilors approved O’Brien and Co. LLC to become construction manager/general contract for the project. O’Brien will begin some demolition and drywalling next month, the center’s General Manager Russell Vandenberg said.

The project will add about 10,000 square feet to the 62,000-square-foot facility, and renovate more than 13,000 square feet of the space. Construction is budgeted at about $11.1 million, a guaranteed maximum price. Fees for fixtures, furniture, equipment, utilities and other expenses are budgeted at $3.7 million, with a $291,000 contingency fund. The total project cost is $15 million.

There could be change orders during construction for improvements or more scope. “But I won’t be coming before you unless it’s for a change order for part of the design that we’ve approved,” Vandenberg said.

In 2016, Vandenberg said the convention center needed additional space and upgrades or the city risked losing convention traffic.

Plans were developed by Holst Architecture and Convergence Design of Kansas City for the contract to design the renovation and expansion the center, built in 1968.

The renovation and expansion is to be paid for by an increase in the city’s room tax, from 8 percent to 10 percent. Bonds for the project went out for sale in November.

“It’s a great honor for me to be a part of this project,” project manager Jason Stegner of O’Brien & Co. told members of the council.

Seventy percent of contractors are local, he added. “That’s pretty amazing for an $11 million project.”

Arcade Concrete, Gale Insulation, Coastline Roofing, DC Drywall, Glasco, Velazquez Painting, Terry’s Plumbing, Diamond Heating, Inland Electric, Sandy’s Nursery and Clean Sweep.

“I hope you recognize some of those names,” Stegner said. “They’re also extremely excited to be part of this project. Those local subs and crews will have a lot of pride in this project, helping to build what I hope will be the nicest building in town.”

The project will take 12 months to complete, Vandenberg said, with a targeted completion date of spring 2019.