$1.4B secured, Houston's convention center renovation plows ahead
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Crews work on the George R. Brown Convention Center expansion in April. Photo: Jay R. Jordan/Axios
With more than $1 billion in funding secured, Houston's massive convention center expansion is steaming ahead.
Why it matters: Once complete, the new George R. Brown Convention Center will be an even bigger boon for Houston's visitor economy, city tourism leaders say.
Catch up quick: Phase I of renovations, initiated in 2025 by Houston First, the city's tourism agency, will add a new 700,000-square-foot facility to the south of the existing 1.8 million-square-foot building.
- Workers razed several city blocks for the expansion. It will include two new exhibit halls, an atrium hall, a large meeting space that can open to the outdoors and other amenities.
- Plus, a new 60,000-square-foot ballroom will be the largest in Texas when it opens, leaders say.
What they're saying: "We have a really great campus," Houston First president and CEO Michael Heckman tells Axios. "But we knew that more needed to be done."
- "Not only will we be able to host bigger meetings, but more importantly, we will be able to host multiple ... meetings at the same time," Heckman says. "That's where the difference maker will be."
Driving the news: With utility and underground work complete, construction will now shift to erecting the building's superstructure in the coming months, Heckman says.
- To make way for an additional pedestrian plaza connecting the building to the nearby Toyota Center, crews will soon close and demolish the adjacent Hilton hotel parking garage.
- Houston First did not provide an exact timeline for when that will happen, but Heckman says a new parking garage built during Phase I will be available for Hilton guests starting in September.
- A pedestrian walkway over Polk Street connecting the existing convention center and the Hilton garage will be closed and demolished starting Monday, Houston First says.
State of play: The City Council approved $1.38 billion in bonds in February to complete the first phase.
- The bond loans for the project will be paid back using revenue generated by Houston's hotel taxes, meaning visitors — not local taxpayers — will foot the bill.
Zoom out: Houston's convention center expansion is one of several similar investments in major Texas cities.
- Austin is currently spending $1.6 billion to rebuild its convention center, and Dallas is making a $3 billion upgrade to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Both are expected to be complete in 2029.
Yes, but: Heckman says while Dallas is a "friendly competitor" and Austin's new convention center will be a "nice product," the statewide investment "inures to everybody's benefit."
- "If there's a better quality of product in Texas in general, that benefits all of us," Heckman says.
The big picture: While Phase I is ongoing, Houston First is looking at attracting a third hotel near the convention center.
- There are currently two hotels adjacent to the campus — the Hilton and Marriott Marquis. A third hotel would make it easier for large event attendees to stay within walking distance of the convention center.
What's next: The new building is on target to open in May 2028, around the time Houston is slated to host the Republican National Convention.
- The existing building will be the center of major renovations for Phase II of the project, slated to be complete by 2038.