Report Details Potential Impact of World Fair 2020 on Region, Mountain View

A recent report about the potential $5.6 billion regional economic impact of a 2020 World Expo in Silicon Valley highlighted some details about how the business fair could affect Mountain View.

Opportunities of employment for locals, increased tourism to downtown Mountain View and more occupancy in area-hotels made the list. Even Moffett Field, where the Expo will actually take place, would get a facelift, with some temporary and permanent changes to its infrastructure.

The city of Mountain View has not been involved in the decision to bring the Expo to Moffett Field, though the effects on the city would be significant. The Bay Area Council (BAC) and then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced their interest to bid for the World Expo 2020 back in September 2010.

“We’ve known about this, but to the best of my knowledge we have not been involved,” said Ellis Berns, assistant community development director and economic development manager for the city. “However, from an economic development point of view, it would bring positive attention to the area and to any local business.”

According to the report released on Monday and sponsored the Bay Area Council Economic Institute and Beacon Economics, with the World Expo, the Bay Area economy would experience an increase in tourism, which the BAC conservatively estimates at 25 million over six month. That’s about 138,000 per day coming into Mountain View to get to Moffett Field.

The BAC also expects that about 42,628 jobs in food preparation and service-related industries, grounds crew and maintenance, construction, management among others, would be created regionally to support the World Expo. This employment, the BAC contends, will stimulate the local economy.

Another possibly 11,000 staff members from out of town would travel with the exhibiting countries and would need accommodation. Though housing will be created at Moffett Field, the report suggested “a large percentage of staff members would choose to live off-site for a more authentic Bay Area experience,” a potential boon for Mountain View hotels, rental apartments, retail and food-related stores.

“Our role is to support businesses in the community,” said Oscar Garcia, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of Mountain View. Garcia explained that the BAC had approached the chamber to write a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in support of the “idea of exploring the possibility of hosting a World Expo.” The board submitted a letter, Garcia confirmed.

“Having a World Expo in our city can and will bring an enormous amount of visibility to not just Mountain View but the entire Bay Area,” he said. “When you look back at the amount of revenue generated in other countries, it’s been a boon.”

World Expos can be a boon to the local economy. According to BAC, Expo 2010 in Shanghai, China, reportedly brought in $8-$10 billion, and Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, netted $122 million profit. However, Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany, left a deficit of $600 million.

With a World Expo, Mountain View would gain worldwide recognition, and not because of Google.

“But there is also a lot of pride,” Garcia said. “If you look at other cities, these were already well-known international cities.”

Notwithstanding, the report does acknowledge the potential negative impact to local residents and other visitors—those within driving distance—to the region. These include added congestion on streets and highways, higher hotel rates and longer lines at local restaurants. Also, expect higher airfares to and from the Bay Area airports, a tug of war over employees (some of the jobs created could come at the expense of other businesses) and increased cost of other tourism-related services, like security.

“This type of endeavor is the type that will require the coming together of multiple organizations and agencies,” Garcia said. “But there is also a lot of logistical issue that would need to be worked out.”

Though the BAC announced the intention to apply to bring the Expo to Moffett Field, the United States would need to renew its membership in the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE)—the governing body of World Expositions. The U.S. let its membership lapse in 2002. The last Expo in the United States was in 1984 in New Orleans.

Mountain View Patch reached out to NASA Ames, which administrates Moffett Field, and a response was not received before publication.