AUSTIN, Texas – The City of Austin is seeking a professional design and engineering firm for the next phase in the redevelopment and expansion of the Austin Convention Center.
According to a media release, the project has been studied and planned for several years to meet the demand from larger conventions and meeting groups that desire to come to Austin. Currently, the Austin Convention Center has 376,000 square feet of rentable space. The goal is to nearly double that amount, which local officials say will allow the venue to remain competitive in the marketplace.
“This is an important day for the City of Austin. Releasing the RFQ for the design is the first of many steps but is a vital one for our city’s future. An expanded convention center has been a topic of conversation for years and, as we continue to become a focal point in the world, we have to accommodate a large number of events,” says Kirk Watson, Austin Mayor. “With an inadequate convention center, we lose out to competitors and, consequently miss out on millions of dollars for our Austin community. With a bigger convention center, the economic impact on our city is estimated to jump to over $750 million annually, from the current $468 million. A larger facility also means more travelers to Austin and jobs in the Austin hospitality industry.”
“To give the community, visitors, and attendees the true authentic Austin experience, we want the new Austin Convention Center to be an iconic, innovative, and symbolic meeting location,” says Trisha Tatro, director of the Austin Convention Center Department. “Along with providing more rentable space, we want a signature design that will provide state-of-the-art technologies and be an industry-leading facility that is ready to exceed future clients’ needs.”
Under the project timeline, it’s estimated that building closure and demolition and new construction will begin in 2025 with the new, larger facility reopening in 2029. The estimated project cost for the redevelopment and expansion is $1.6 billion, which will be funded from the property’s allocation from the municipal hotel occupancy tax and center revenues.
To minimize the impact on planners, groups, and the community, a one-phase building concept and approach model will be used for the construction project.
“In using a vertical approach to deliver a larger more efficient facility, the goal of the redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center is to transform the southeast corner of downtown into a community-centric destination for attendees and the community,”’ the news release states.
“Austin is the 11th largest city in the U.S., but currently, we have the 59th largest convention center,” says Tom Noonan, president and CEO of Visit Austin. “In the last few years, we’ve seen roughly 50 percent of our leads lost due to the lack of space or availability, so we know the demand for a new center is there. This new center will allow us to be more competitive within the state and with our major national competitors.”
