Houston Plans $1 Billion Convention Center Expansion

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The city of Houston is planning to sell around $1.4 billion in municipal bonds to finance the first phase of a roughly $1.1 billion expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center. The expansion project, expected to take 15 years, will add a new 700,000-square-foot convention center building and a 100,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza to provide direct access to the nearby Toyota Center, home of the NBA's Houston Rockets.

Why it matters

The convention center expansion is seen as crucial to boosting downtown Houston's economic activity and competitiveness as a major events and tourism destination. The project is part of a broader effort to revitalize the city's urban core.

The details

The first phase of the convention center expansion project has a price tag of around $1.1 billion and will include a new 700,000-square-foot convention center building and a 100,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza that will provide direct access to the nearby Toyota Center, home of the NBA's Houston Rockets. The city plans to sell approximately $1.4 billion in municipal bonds to finance this initial phase of the overall 15-year expansion plan.

• The city of Houston plans to sell the municipal bonds in the coming months to finance the first phase of the convention center expansion project.
• The overall 15-year expansion project is expected to take around 15 years to complete.

What’s next

The city plans to sell the $1.4 billion in municipal bonds in the coming months to finance the first phase of the convention center expansion project.