Dallas Convention Center Expansion Gets Moving

The Dallas City Council recently granted a $71 million contract to the developer who will conduct phase one of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center’s modernization and expansion.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2024 on new halls that are alongside the existing center, which will be demolished at some point before the expansion is completed in mid-2028. The existing center is presently booking events at least through the end of 2024; it will host the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting from May 17 to 19, 2024.

The new halls will offer 170,000 square feet of ballroom space anchored by a 105,000-square-foot ballroom, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, 800,000 square feet of exhibit space, and a huge “living roof” with an adjacent rooftop terrace. In addition, the project will deliver comprehensive accessibility features for visitors with disabilities, including mobility, hearing, and visual impairments.

Elements of the existing convention complex that will remain are the 9,800-seat arena and the 1,750-seat theater, both of which will likely be renovated to match the style and technological capabilities of the new convention halls.

The master plan for the convention-center district (image here) also calls for redevelopment of the area between the center and the neighborhood to the west, which will add dining, retail, and entertainment offerings.

And on the opposite side of the center, Hunt Realty Investments announced in mid-December its plan to redevelop 20 acres of land between the convention center, the 933-room Omni Dallas Hotel, and the Hyatt Regency Dallas/Reunion Tower campus. It calls for a dozen new high-rise residential and commercial buildings with up to 3,000 apartment units, a hotel with 600 to 1,000 rooms, up to two million square feet of office space, and a three-acre park. There will also be a redevelopment of the historic Union Station, located across the railroad tracks from Reunion Tower.

Downtown Dallas Inc. has posted a video that shows the proposed changes to the convention center and surrounding district.