Bullet Train Battle Could Impede Dallas Convention Center Project

A proposed high-speed rail line connecting Dallas and Fort Worth is throwing a wrench in plans

for Dallas’ new convention center.

Nearly a year after the city celebrated the groundbreaking of the $3.7 billion expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Hunt Realty proposed shifting the project toward Reunion Tower, the site of a $5 billion redevelopment project by Hunt, the Dallas Morning News reported.

At issue is the $6 billion high-speed rail line, which is being spearheaded by the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

Hunt has been trying to kill the project for years, arguing it would impede the Reunion redevelopment, which is set to include thousands of multifamily units, a hotel, office and retail, since the track will be seven stories high. Economic analyst the Perryman Group conducted a study that validated Hunt’s fears and found the train could lead to the closing of the Hyatt and billions in losses for the city.

Proponents of the rail line claim moving the convention center would delay the opening of the facility and stymie the development of the train, which the North Central Texas Council of Governments has spent years planning.

Hunt president Colin Fitzgibbons said in a statement that he heard the city was still exploring location options for the convention center. Although a groundbreaking ceremony was held last year, the convention center design hasn’t been finalized; plans for the facility have shifted multiple times.

Concerns about the train project compelled Dallas City Council to back an alternative route for the train last summer; officials said they’d revisit the issue after reviewing the economic impact of various high-speed routes.

Hunt is also the developer behind NorthEnd, a $5 billion mixed-use development that will include a $500 million campus for Goldman Sachs.

–Jess Hardin