Houston Convention Center Redo to Bring $20 Billion in Revenue

Houston is putting its convention game into overdrive with a $1 billion expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center that could drive retail and hospitality development.

The overhaul is expected to bring $20 billion in spending to the local economy over 10 years, the Houston Business Journal reported, citing a study commissioned by Houston First.

The overhaul adds 700,000 square feet of space, slices a promenade through the hulking building to reconnect it with downtown’s east side, and replaces its dated ship-like facade with timber finishes and rooftop greenery.

Plans also call for a 100,000-square-foot outdoor plaza meant to anchor a convention campus tied to an entertainment district that includes Toyota Center and Daikin Park.

The first phase is set to wrap by mid-2028, just in time for the Republican National Convention.

The study by Hunden Partners, a real estate development advisory firm, projected the convention center redevelopment will boost citywide meetings and conventions by 62 percent and drive an extra 337,000 hotel room nights annually in the central business district. That could lift downtown occupancy rates nearly 5 percent — assuming Houston adds a third convention hotel, a recommendation tucked into the report.

Houston First, the city’s convention and tourism arm, tapped a lineup of heavy hitters for the project: Houston-based Hines as development manager, Populous as architect and a Gilbane-Flintco JV as construction lead. The state is footing the bill through a 2023 law that redirected a slice of future hotel-occupancy tax revenue — an approach Dallas and Fort Worth are also using — with no new local taxes.

Mayor John Whitmire called the expansion a once-in-a-generation play to reinforce Houston’s standing as a “top-tier convention city” and kickstart fresh investment in restaurants, retail and entertainment in the East End. The timing may also prove strategic: Dallas and Austin are moving ahead with convention center projects that will shutter their facilities for years, while Houston’s will stay open throughout construction.

Houston still faces competition for meetings and conventions at a moment when the global events industry is expected to nearly double in size by 2032. But if the numbers hold — $20.6 billion in new spending off a $1 billion build — Houston’s bet could prove a savvy real estate play.

— Eric Weilbacher