Convention Center Expansion

Summary

The Austin Convention Center facility currently covers four city blocks downtown, bounded by Red River, East Cesar Chavez, Trinity and East Third streets. This project is a $110 million expansion of the Convention Center on adjacent land north of the current facility. The Center, which opened in July 1992, was built to allow for future expansion.

Status

The foundation is currently under construction. The structural steel was awarded by Council on February 17, 2000. We out for bids for the main building package with a bid date of March 16, 2000.

Description

The expansion will add an additional 130,000 square feet of exhibit space, a new 40,000 square foot ballroom and another 35,000 square feet of meeting rooms, doubling its capacity.

Room nights - the nights people spend in area hotels - are expected to increase from 150,500 to 332,600 with the expansion.

A feasibility study on the Convention Center anticipates a community economic impact of an expansion to increase from $70.6 million annually and 1,464 jobs to $156.6 million annually and 3,268 jobs. The fiscal impact including property, sales and hotel taxes for Austin would grow from $3.3 million annually to $7.4 million annually. During construction of the expansion, Austin is expected to have a one-time benefit of $145 million and 1,143 jobs.

Basic Data

• Project Contact: Tom Wood, Department of Public Works and Transportation, 404-4084