City Council has approved two measures related to Convention Center development. One item advances the multibillion-dollar reconstruction of the downtown Austin Convention Center, while the other enables the construction of a privately financed convention center and resort hotel near the Circuit of the Americas to qualify for state tax rebates. Council voted to authorize an […]
Austin Convention Center
This city department operates the downtown convention center and associated events.
Posted inPreservation
Convention Center redevelopment explores options for two Downtown landmarks in its path
As Austin moves full steam ahead with plans to nearly double the size of its Convention Center, city staff are scrambling to keep two historic structures off its list of potential casualties. Located just across Red River from the existing Center, the buildings known as the Trask and Castleman-Bull Houses are no strangers to the […]
Posted inCity Hall
City to help preserve artworks threatened by convention center teardown
The city appears to have solutions to save a group of artworks installed in the Austin Convention Center that were in danger of being destroyed as the demolition and reconstruction of the facility moves forward. Late last month, artist John Yancey, whose Riffs & Rhythms mural was at the centerpiece of the controversy, informed the […]
Posted inCity Council
Prompted by convention center controversy, Council seeks changes to public art program
In response to increasing scrutiny over Austin’s handling of public art, City Council voted Thursday to modernize the Art in Public Places program by updating policies to prevent mishandlings like the controversial deaccessioning of artwork at the Austin Convention Center. The resolution, which was approved on the consent agenda, follows a heated debate over the […]
Posted inPlanning
New convention center design revealed at Council
Trisha Tatro, director of the Austin Convention Center, promised during Tuesday’s City Council work session a “world-class design” and the “first net-zero carbon convention center in the world.” Katy Zamesnik, assistant director of the convention center, told Council that Austin is the 11th-largest city in the United States but has the 61th-largest convention center. After […]
Posted inCity Council
Council OKs plan to remove, demolish artwork as part of convention center rebuild
Four large murals and art installations from local artists will be removed from the Austin Convention Center and destroyed ahead of the facility’s forthcoming demolition and reconstruction, despite calls from the artists and supporters to find a way to preserve the works. At Thursday’s meeting, City Council approved a plan for the deaccession of eight […]
Posted inAustin
Arts Commission wants convention center installations preserved ahead of demolition
The Arts Commission wants the city to push the Austin Convention Center to pay for and assist in the removal and preservation of four city-commissioned art installations that are at risk of being destroyed when the facility is torn down next spring. At Monday’s meeting, the commission approved a request to City Council asking for […]
Posted inPlanning
Arts, music commissioners want new convention center to support Austin creatives
Members of the Music Commission and Arts Commission have assembled a list of 31 recommendations detailing how the reconstructed Austin Convention Center could best support the local creative community. The recommendations from the Urban Core Land Use Working Group, which includes two members of each commission as well as development and event professionals, was scheduled […]
Posted inAustin
Visit Austin offers look at strategy to support hotels during convention center closure
Staff from Visit Austin plan to aggressively market the city to new and recurring visitors in the coming years as part of a three-part strategy to support the local hotel and convention industry during the four-year closure of the Austin Convention Center. Last week, the Tourism Commission received a presentation from the tourism organization, which […]
Posted inAustin
Hotel, multifamily developers sought for convention center reconstruction project
Leaders at the Austin Convention Center have set their sights on building a new hotel or a multifamily residential project as part of the forthcoming reconstruction of the downtown site. The timeline for the solicitation of developers was among the details shared during Tuesday’s City Council work session, with convention center representatives sharing their 40-year […]
Posted inAustin
SXSW’s $380M economic impact shows return to prepandemic heights
This year’s South by Southwest appears to have had a local economic impact on par with the years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, which nearly wiped out the popular music, tech and film confab in 2020. An analysis from Greyhill Advisors found this year’s event generated $380.9 million in economic activity, a jump of $100 […]
Posted inCity Council
Council approves convention center expansion contracts
On Thursday, City Council voted to award the contract for construction and pre-construction of a refurbished and enlarged Austin Convention Center to two firms, JE Dunn Construction and Turner Construction, for up to $1.2 billion. They also directed staff to negotiate a $65 million contract with architects LMN and Page Southerland Page, called LMN/Page, for […]