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Council committee reviews convention-center transportation plan, raises access and bike-route concerns ahead of FIFA
Summary
City staff described demolition timing, temporary bus routing, road closures and coordination with TxDOT, DART and Union Pacific for the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center master plan; council members pressed for contingency plans for southern Dallas access and bike connectivity during lengthy bridge closures.
City transportation and convention staff on Jan. 20 briefed the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee on the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas Master Plan transportation and communication program, including demolition schedules, temporary transit arrangements and coordination plans for FIFA-related operations.
Rosa Fleming, director of Convention and Event Services, said demolition of Halls D, E and F, the Vertiport and the TXCN building is scheduled to begin in February to allow for a redesigned facility with roughly 750,000 square feet of exhibit space. Fleming said the DART interlocal agreement to close the adjacent station took effect Jan. 5 and that a temporary bus station on Marilla Street near Ackerd will maintain transit service during construction.
"FIFA has moved into the building. Their period of occupancy is January 14 through 08/24/2026," Fleming said. She also flagged a required construction quiet period between May 7 and July 19, 2026 to meet decibel limits while FIFA is onsite.
Justin Kincarli of Transportation & Public Works walked the committee through closure timelines: the Jefferson Viaduct removal, Memorial and Lamar closures, and related bridge removals that will affect downtown access in the months around FIFA and during multi-year construction. Staff emphasized continuing coordination with TxDOT, DART, Union Pacific, the FAA and other stakeholders.
Council members asked detailed operational questions. One recurring concern was access from southern Dallas while Jefferson is closed; staff said a temporary conversion of Houston Street to two-way operation is being analyzed as a diversion during Jefferson’s closure. Council members also pressed for concrete temporary bike-route plans to preserve safe two-way cycling connections between Oak Cliff and downtown and asked for those options to be presented to the committee.
Perkins and Will, Nelson Nygaard and other consultants said they are developing multiple scenarios and will deliver two to three viable options to the committee for review; staff recommended scheduling that item on the February agenda.
On high-speed-rail alignments shown in presentation slides, staff acknowledged a mapping oversight and agreed to remove an eastern alignment that the council previously disfavored; staff said the Western alignment used in the schematic was sourced from North Texas Council of Governments planning to date and was taken into account for building schematic clearance and lot planning.
What happens next: staff will return with alternative traffic/bike scenarios and additional detail for committee review (target: one month). The full convention-center master-plan briefing with additional detail was scheduled for the next council briefing.
