Austin Convention Center Plan Faces Potential Voter Roadblock

A petition to halt Austin’s $1.6 billion convention center overhaul is gaining traction, and it could throw one of the city’s biggest civic projects into limbo.

The citizen-led Austin United PAC said it submitted more than 20,000 signatures to the city clerk Monday, seeking to put the convention center redevelopment before voters, the Austin Business Journal reported.

The petition calls for the project to be delayed until it is approved by referendum — or shelved entirely for seven years — while redirecting tourism-related funds toward Austin’s music, arts and outdoor attractions instead of convention business.

City officials confirmed receipt of the petition and said the signature verification process, expected to take about a month, is underway. If enough are validated, the measure could appear on the May ballot.

The push comes six months after Austin began demolition and construction on the long-planned rebuild of its downtown convention center.

Demolition of the old facility is complete, and excavation is now active and on schedule, according to city officials. The project aims to boost rentable space by 70 percent and reopen by spring 2029 — an expansion city leaders say will make Austin more competitive for major events and bolster tourism revenue.

Opponents, led by environmental attorney and activist Bill Bunch, argue the redevelopment represents a misuse of public funds, citing the volatile nature of the convention industry.

Bunch, who also heads the Save Our Springs Alliance, said Austin United PAC is confident its petition will clear the 20,000 verified-signature threshold, claiming the group pre-screened entries to weed out ineligible voters.

The PAC contends the true price tag will reach $5.6 billion when debt service is factored in, far exceeding the city’s $1.6 billion estimate that includes inflation and contingency costs.

The ballot measure could inject uncertainty into a project central to Austin’s downtown evolution — one that has already reshaped surrounding real estate expectations.

Developers and hotel owners have eyed the convention center’s expansion as a catalyst for future hospitality, retail and mixed-use growth.

— Eric Weilbacher