Dallas City Council Awards Convention Center Project Management Contract to Inspire Dallas

Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, the Dallas City Council awarded a $71 million project management services contract to Inspire Dallas for Component One of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas Master Plan. Component One includes the convention center expansion, a deck park over Interstate 30, and demolition of the existing structure. The Inspire Dallas team, led by Matthews Southwest, Kaizen Development, and Azteca Enterprises, includes 28 subcontractors of which 75% are local Dallas businesses and more than half are a Minority, Women, Business Enterprise (M/WBE).

In 2022, the Dallas City Council approved plans for an expanded 2.5-million-square-foot convention center that was later placed as a ballot measure on the November 2022 ballot. Voters overwhelmingly approved the Proposition A ballot initiative, which authorized a 2% increase in the city’s portion of the hotel occupancy tax to be used to fund the expansion and designated improvements at Fair Park. In addition to the 2% hotel occupancy tax increase, the Master Plan will be funded with a project financing zone.

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center expansion concept includes 170,000 square feet of ballroom space, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 800,000 square feet of exhibit space. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the expanded and upgraded facility will accommodate the needs of visitors with disabilities, such as those with mobility, hearing, or visual impairments. Construction is expected to begin late 2024, with the portions of the existing convention center remaining operational throughout the build.

Matthews Southwest is known for its work south of downtown, including the Omni Hotel connected to the convention center, Gilley’s, South Side on Lamar, and the Canvas Hotel. In partnership with the City of Dallas, Matthews Southwest also brought workforce housing to downtown with the development of the Galbraith.

As the Owner’s Representative, the Inspire Dallas team will work with Convention and Event Services and other city staff to provide sound decision-making recommendations to deliver a world-class facility for the City of Dallas.

“The award of the contract with Inspire Dallas signifies the start of the start of the construction of the new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center by an experienced project management firm,” said District 2 City Council Member Jesse Moreno. “Importantly, the Project signals historic engagement of local businesses. When completed, this area of downtown will become a new attraction to Dallas and will generate a strong economic impact in our City.”