Houston First unveils master plan to expand George R. Brown; project funded by Texas Senate Bill 1057

Houston First onstage at the George R. Brown Convention Center on a public announcement day unveiled a phased master plan to add a new 700,000-square-foot convention building called GRB Houston South, a 100,000-square-foot plaza and a later entertainment district connecting Discovery Green and the East End. The agency said the work will be funded using the state's portion of incremental hotel-occupancy tax revenue authorized in Senate Bill 1057, passed in 2023, and that the first phase is expected to open in 2028.

The announcement, presented by Houston First board leadership and CEO Michael Heckman, emphasized economic development and downtown connectivity. "Today is an incredibly proud day for me and the team at Houston First," Michael Heckman, chief executive officer of Houston First Corporation, said. He described the plan as a phased master plan that will "supercharge our convention business" by allowing multiple, simultaneous events and increasing hotel-room nights and visitor spending.

Mayor John Whitmire, who was credited for legislative leadership that helped enable the project, said the plan will change downtown Houston's connection to the East End and expand public green space. "The East End has been left out," Whitmire said. "Can you envision what this is gonna do? 45, 50 9 have divided our community.…