Construction projects with billion-dollar- price tags don’t happen over night — just look at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
The Dallas-based facility is in the midst of a $3+ billion project that will drastically overhaul the longstanding building. Progress has ebbedand flowed, giving us the perfect opportunity to dig through records, releases, and reports to create a timeline of events.
2021
This project initially started in February 2021 after city leaders began developing a master plan that included the KBHCCD expansion. It was built in 1973, but hasn’t been expanded since 1994.
2022
Convention and Event Services presented the project to council in February, laying out a timeline of construction, costs, and the public need. It eventually made its way through more town halls before appearing on the November 2022 ballot, under Prop A.
Dallas voters passed Prop A in a landslide with 67% of the votes. Mayor Eric Johnson said it was going to become a “first-rate, first-class” facility as it will double in size for event space and hotel rooms.
2023
The project team went back to the drawing board after public and official feedback to design a new master plan for KBHCCD. The new plans showed 800,000-sqft interconnected exhibit halls + 105,000-sqft ballroom. Just a few weeks later, these plans were altered again to include a high-speed rail, among other changes.
A project of this size requires a big team and that’s what’s behind the redevelopment of KBHCCD. | Photo via KBHCCD
2024
Construction began in June, marking the start of one of the biggest projects in Dallas history.
Following the groundbreaking, the city began seeking a new construction manager. This person will be tasked with changing concepts into a reality once hired. They will also have to do so by 2028, which is currently the project’s deadline.
Most recently, City Council funded nearly $145 million towards the project, largely for design and engineering costs.
