Dallas outlines reoriented Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center plan, aims for 2029 opening

City officials on May 21 briefed the Dallas City Council and the public on a reoriented master plan for the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center and a financing approach intended to allow construction to begin this year and open the new facility in early 2029.

The schematic-design package, described by Director of Convention and Event Services Rosa Fleming and the project team, enlarges and consolidates exhibit space to roughly 750,000 square feet on one level, doubles meeting-room capacity, and adds a 105,000-square-foot rooftop ballroom. Designers said the reorientation minimizes conflict with Union Pacific and TxDOT work and improves walkability and visual connections from downtown to the Cedars and southern Dallas.

City Manager Kimberly Beiser Tolbert told council the reorientation was required in part because TxDOT and other infrastructure partners need laydown areas that conflicted with the earliest design alignment. The city said it purchased additional property needed to accommodate the new alignment so the project can remain on its target schedule.

Why it matters: supporters including Visit Dallas, the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, the…