The Orange County Convention Center had its first major Covid-related cancellation on March 5. Since then, Orange County has spent at least $12.3 million designing an expansion of the giant facility.

At the request of a reader, here& #39;s a thread of all the weekly payments:
Week of March 8: Orange County spent $829,000
Week of March 15: Nothing

Week of March 22: $98,000
Week of March 29: Nothing

Week of April 5: Nothing

Week of April 12: $704,000
Week of April 19: Nothing

Week of April 26: Nothing

Week of May 3: Nothing

Week of May 10: $13,000
Week of May 17: $221,000
Week of May 24: Nothing

Week of May 31: $11,000
Week of June 7: $188,000
Week of June 14: $3.7 million
Week of June 21: $48,000
Week of June 28: $285,000
Week of July 5: $378,000
Week of July 12: Nothing

Week of July 19: $517,000
Week of July 26: $288,000
Week of August 2: $283,000
Week of August 9: $4.8 million
Note 1: These payments are from Orange County& #39;s check register (government checkbooks are public record, folks, NEVER FORGET) and include any convention center payments labeled "Multipurpose Venue" or "Grand Concourse" -- the two projects that make up the proposed expansion.
Note 2: The total price tag for the Orange County Convention Center expansion is estimated at $605 million.

But Orange County commissioners voted in May to give themselves the ability to borrow up to $700 million to pay for the project.
Note 3: Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has declared the convention center project on hold. But the county continues to spend millions designing it.

Demings says construction won& #39;t start until hotel taxes rebound -- and county commissioners re-vote.
Orange County spent $185,000 last week on its proposed convention center expansion:
Orange County spent another $100,000 on its planned convention center expansion this week:
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