Houston First Corp. has selected locally based global real estate developer Hines to lead a major expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center and the surrounding district as it seeks to rival other powerhouse convention cities like Las Vegas, Orlando, Florida, and Chicago.
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The 37-year-old center’s transformation will add 500K SF to the south side of the 1.8M SF structure and will include a new skybridge to the Toyota Center arena, new restaurant and retail venues, and other amenities aimed at activating sidewalks, storefronts and foot traffic in the vicinity, according to Realty News Report.
“This is a generational opportunity for Houston to transform the eastern edge of its downtown and ensure that we remain a Tier 1 convention city for years to come,” Houston First CEO Michael Heckman said in a release.
The project will be fully funded by hotel occupancy taxes, Houston First said. Legislation passed last year allows up to $2B in hotel occupancy taxes to be spent on major projects and improvements, including the GRB.
Phase 1 of the project will center around developing new meeting space south of the existing structure, improving pedestrian and vehicular infrastructure in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation, and laying the groundwork for new development and entertainment venues. That work is expected to begin next year.
All told, the additions would bring the convention center to about 2.5M SF, according to Realty News Report, putting it at just over half the size of the 4.6M SF Las Vegas Convention Center. The Vegas venue has been named the No. 1 trade show destination in North America by Trade Show News Network for 26 years running.
Exhibitor Online places Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center in second place for popularity among conventiongoers, followed by Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Convention Center and Chicago’s McCormick Place. The GRB ranks No. 11 on the list.
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