Plans to expand the Fort Worth Convention Center are moving forward.
This week, members of the Fort Worth City Council approved the design contract for the first phase of renovating the city-owned convention center. Michael Crum, public events director for Fort Worth, said that includes the selection of the architectural firm.
“Who we ended up selecting was a team who was made up of [Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates Inc.,] TVS Design in Atlanta, Georgia and Bennett Partners, which is headquartered here in Fort Worth,” Crum said.
Plans initially made to start the project in 2020 were put on pause due to the pandemic, Crum said. The expansion will take place in two phases and the facility will remain operational during both.
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CITY OF FORT WORTH
The first phase includes constructing new food and beverage facilities, demolishing the annex, realigning Commerce Street to create a site pad for a future convention hotel and rebuilding the center’s loading docks. This phase is expected to begin construction in mid-2023 and be completed in 2026.
The second phase of the project will include demolishing the 1968 arena and creating approximately 97,000 square feet of net new exhibit hall space, 48,000 square feet of flexible meeting rooms and a new 50,000-square-foot ballroom. There are also plans to renovate the current facility, which was expanded in 2003.
“Expanding a building like this is a generational project,” Crum said. “So, we’re talking about moving Fort Worth from what you would call a lower tier in the convention, meetings industry to an upper tier. So, it’s a very big deal for our hospitality economy.”
According to Crum, the hospitality industry in Fort Worth employs more than 25,000 people. The expansion of the convention center is expected to build on the industry, he said.
The next step before city leaders is to approve a recommendation to hire a construction manager. Crum said that is expected in November.
