Hoodline Dallas: Dallas Boosts Convention Appeal with $187 Million Upgrades, Emphasizes Inclusive Economic Growth

View original story here: https://hoodline.com/2024/09/dallas-boosts-convention-appeal-with-187-million-upgrades-emphasizes-inclusive-economic-growth/

(Sofia Vasquez) - The Dallas City Council has taken a decisive step toward establishing Dallas as a preeminent site for conventions, approving over $187 million for upgrades to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD), with a significant share of that going to minority- and women-owned businesses, as reported by the City of Dallas.

At the forefront, Perkins&Will and Populous, whose partnership marks a notable $141.5 million contract and boasts more than half the work expected to be carried out by minority- and women-owned businesses, these firms will steer the architectural, engineering, and design elements for the Convention Center's westward expansion, a project that signifies an earnest commitment to inclusive economic growth. Moreover, Metropolitan Infrastructure, PLLC, another Dallas-based firm specializing in minority and women's enterprise has been tapped with a $3.7 million contract for managing part of these ambitious renovations, particularly the revamp of Pioneer Plaza and Cemetery.

Financial backing for the KBHCCD transformation isn't just local, it spans several sources, with the City Council authorizing $42 million in city funding and an additional $31 million from federal coffers; this includes $20 million from the Reconnecting Communities grant, all supporting a mission to seamlessly blend the convention space with the city's fabric and enhance the broader community connection.

With aims to knit together a district from Eddie Bernice Johnson Union Station down to Old City Park, the conveners at Convention and Event Services are piecing together engineers and architectural talent to sculpt a Convention Center district that will stand as a nexus for not only those who visit for events but also for the lifeblood of the city, its downtown workers and residential citizens, to reimagine the texture of urban Dallas.