Clark Construction Group and Lease Crutcher Lewis have teamed up as a joint venture, Clark | Lewis, to build the $960-million Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. An official groundbreaking was held Aug. 14. The project, designed by LMN Architects, has taken nearly 10 years to design and plan, along with another two years of preconstruction. This 1.4-million-sq-ft addition, called Summit, is one of the largest projects in downtown Seattle history. Once completed, Summit will nearly double the convention center’s exhibition space. Construction includes a ballroom and flex space with an outdoor terrace and exhibit hall, along with two adjacent building podiums to house future residential and commercial development in the area. The project team began demolition of selected surrounding structures in late July. The Clark | Lewis team has established a goal to award $80 million in contracts to local MBE and WBE businesses. Work is expected to be completed within 36 months.