More than 50,000 square feet of billboards and flashing electronic signs — nearly the size of a football field — would be hung from the city-owned Los Angeles Convention Center under a proposal being pushed by the developer of Staples Center and LA Live.

City officials said the signs would meld with efforts to transform that area of downtown Los Angeles into a vibrant sports and entertainment zone, which includes the Nokia Theatre and will soon feature movie theaters, restaurants and a 54-story luxury hotel.

But members of a local neighborhood association are vowing to fight the proposal, saying the area already is starting the resemble the over-the-top glitz of Las Vegas and is disrupting the everyday lives of nearby residents.

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