Dallas officials are reaffirming their commitment to a convention center design that incorporates the former Dallas Morning News building, a property owned by developer Ray Washburne that’s become a flashpoint in the city’s larger redevelopment ambitions.
The updated design sticks to a footprint approved by the Dallas City Council last year, which calls for expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center to the southeast and northwest, skirting the Union Pacific rail line and avoiding planned Texas Department of Transportation work on Interstate 30, the Dallas Business Journal reported. The design also maintains flexibility for a future high-speed rail terminal.
It reaffirms plans to include part of the former newspaper property at 508 Young Street. Washburne threatened to sell the property to a data center developer in February, citing poor communication from the city. He purchased it in 2019 with plans for a mixed-use development.
The city is considering buying the property, but its decision on the matter hasn’t been made public.
The plan rebuffs a proposal by Hunt Realty, which had pitched moving the convention center closer to Reunion Tower.
Renderings show a convention center entrance facing City Hall and an upgraded connection to the adjacent Omni Dallas Hotel.
The layout includes a more compact footprint that would straddle Memorial Drive and nearly triple the amount of meeting room space to 260,000 square feet, while increasing exhibition space by 76,000 square feet and doubling the size of the ballroom.
The project is on track to stay within its $2.5 to $3.5 billion budget, said Rosa Fleming, director of convention and event services for the city. City staff have already completed utility and water line reconfigurations.
The City Council is expected to receive a project briefing next month. If timelines hold, the convention center could open in 2029. Fleming said 59 conventions have already pre-booked space, with 137 more waiting for final design approvals.
— Judah Duke
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