Austin United Pac Targets Convention Center Expansion

A local political action committee is pushing to stop the $1.6 billion redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center, even as demolition work is already underway.

Austin United PAC is gathering signatures for a ballot initiative that would halt the project either until voters approve it or for seven years, the Austin Business Journal reported.

The group says it’s close to collecting the 20,000 signatures required to force a public vote, though the measure likely wouldn’t appear on a ballot until May.

The redevelopment, funded by hotel occupancy taxes and future revenue from the convention center, would increase rentable space from 365,000 to 620,000 square feet. City leaders and tourism officials say the upgrade is necessary to attract larger conventions and boost hotel stays, with Visit Austin estimating a 60 percent increase in the center’s economic impact, up to $750 million annually.

The petition argues that the project is a misallocation of public resources, calling for hotel occupancy tax revenues to instead be directed to music, arts, cultural institutions and parks.

“It’s a phenomenal waste of money,” said Bill Bunch, an environmental lawyer and longtime activist involved with the PAC and Save Our Springs Alliance. “It’s basically a theft of funds that … should be supporting what actually brings visitors to Austin.”

The group has argued that the cost is far higher than reported.

Bunch cited city estimates suggesting $5.6 billion in pledged revenue could be needed to cover debt over the life of the financing plan; city officials countered that this figure reflects long-term revenue, not the true cost of the project.

City Council Member Marc Duchen, the sole vote against a recent $25 million project management contract increase, raised concerns about the long-term strain on tourism funding. While skeptical that stopping the project is feasible, he voiced support for requiring voter input on future large-scale projects.

The convention center is scheduled to reopen in early 2029.

—Rachel Stone