Dallas council in Texas, USA, has had sight of some new renderings of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center reconstruction and an updated timeline for the $3bn facility’s likely completion (2028) and opening (2029). https://www.c-mw.net/dallas-go-ahead-for-new-2bn-convention-centre/
The plan for a new facility was put to Dallas voters who approved the project for a new 2.5-million-square-foot convention centre. When complete, the venue is expected to offer double the capacity of the old one. It will also be part of a convention district.
The old Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center is 65 years old and in a state of disrepair.
The new facility’s seven-year facelift means it will be able to attract much larger and higher paying customers and, with smaller meetings back in good numbers, the new construction will be able to offer 300,000 square feet (27,871sqm) of breakout rooms. The venue blueprint includes 800,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 160,000-square-foot ballroom. The facility will also include a vertiport for helicopter access.
The idea is for a three-mile radius convention centre district to generate hotel occupancy taxes, raising $2.2bn over 30 years to help finance the project. These taxes will increase from 13% to 15%.
The convention centre project will also revitalise downtown and the 277-acre city-owned Fair Park in South Dallas, one of the poorest parts of the city.
The new renderings feature outdoor event terraces with views of the Trinity River and downtown.
