CHICAGO -- The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which operates McCormick Place and Navy Pier, is proposing to extend a 6% car rental surcharge to help fund an $800 million expansion of McCormick Place. The authority also wants to extend taxes on hotel rooms and airport taxis to fund the project.

McCormick Place is already the largest convention center in North America. Expansion plans call for 610,000 more square feet of exhibition space, 140,000 more square feet of meeting room space, and a 60,000-square-foot ballroom.

The Chicago Plan Commission has already approved project designs.

The Illinois General Assembly and Gov. Ryan authorized financing for the project in 2001, but the city council still needs to vote on the matter.