Construction has officially begun on a renovation of the convention center that officials hope will boost job opportunities downtown, increase tourism in Dallas and close the historic economic gap between north and south Dallas.
City officials broke ground on a $3.7 billion expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Wednesday morning, celebrating the start of the center’s redevelopment. Joined by state leaders, officials and others, they donned white hard hats, picked up shovels and began digging dirt on the site where the convention center will add about 500,000 square feet.
Mayor Eric Johnson said the new convention center will be a “beacon” that Dallas is a global leader in innovation and opportunity.
“This convention center is a cornerstone of our vision for Dallas as a modern, interconnected and vibrant city,” he said. “Today, we are laying the foundation for sustainable economic growth and an improved quality of life for all our residents.”
Officials hope the center’s expansion will create new employment, transportation and entertainment opportunities on both the north and south sides of the city.
Plans call for a new entertainment district to be built around the convention center, with activities, restaurants, a multi-station station center for the area’s public transportation services, and a mix of commercial and residential spaces connecting nearby neighborhoods with the convention center district.
Mayor Pro Tempore Tenelle Atkins, who represents Dallas’ southern 8th District, said the expansion could bring economic growth and counter the so-called “tale of two cities.”
“We are trying to bring the North and South together,” he said.
The expansion plans include partially demolishing the convention center and creating a direct access corridor rather than a tunnel underneath it, reintegrating the Cedars District of South Dallas with downtown.
In 2022, Dallas voters approved increasing the amount of taxes levied on hotel and other room rentals to help pay for a new convention center and some renovations to Fair Park. State law allows cities to use hotel taxes (usually paid by city visitors) to pay off bonds used to build the convention center and other adjacent arenas.
City Councilman Adam Bazaldua, who represents the 7th District, which includes much of South Dallas, said he supports using hotel occupancy tax revenue for the project because it would “create jobs without taxing Fair Park neighbors.”
“Imagine what the future holds,” Bazaldua said, “not only vibrant new communities, but also connections between them. Imagine a streetcar running from here to the central business district, all the way to South Dallas, all the way to Fair Park.”
The plans include renovations to Dallas Memorial Arena, which will be the new home of the Dallas Wings women’s basketball team, renovations to the University of Texas Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), and an expansion of urban open space connecting the Convention Center to the Cedars.
The convention center’s renovation is expected to be completed by 2029, with events planned to begin at the center later that year.
Once completed, the center will offer 2.5 million square feet of programmable space, including new auditorium space, ballroom space and meeting rooms. It is expected to support more than 50,000 jobs and has already attracted interest from more than 100 new conventions, with 29 reservations booked, officials said.
Officials praised the plan for prioritizing connectivity that will create jobs for Dallas residents, increase employment opportunities and allow local residents to work outside of one district.
City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold, who represents the 4th District, which includes parts of South Dallas, said the center’s expansion plans are a chance to “transform our community.”
“This means economic mobility and again, equity. We have to emphasize that equity is key. Equity now gives students the opportunity to see a bright light of hope,” Arnold said.
Johnson introduced the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas, the state for which the center is named. Hutchison praised the convention center and the growth it will bring. [her] life.”
“I think we [the center] “It’s starting out the way it is now,” she said.
