From pandemic pause to urban revival, Fort Worth Convention Center expansion roars back
Fort Worth, Texas – In a bid to continue fostering Fort Worth’s thriving visitor economy – which according to the state of Texas, generates over $3 billion annually and provides employment to over 30,000 local residents – the City of Fort Worth has commenced an ambitious expansion of the Fort Worth Convention Center, a project that has been in the planning stages for two decades.
Fort Worth Convention Center expansion will keep the city of Fort Worth competitive while offering better experience
As confirmed by Mike Crum, the City of Fort Worth’s director of public events, the expansion will serve as an enhancement of the overall guest experience, thus keeping Fort Worth competitive with other Texas cities.
“This expansion will allow us to deliver an even more delightful experience to our guests and remain competitive with other Texas cities,” Crum said.
Fort Worth Convention Center expansion should be finished in early 2026
Expected to reach completion in early 2026, the expansion will consist of multiple phases. Phase 1 will see a host of new additions to the center. Included in this initial phase are state-of-the-art food and beverage facilities, the demolition of a now obsolete annex constructed in 1983, the augmentation of the center’s loading docks from seven to 11, and a realignment of Commerce Street to the east. This realignment will pave the way for a site pad to accommodate a prospective convention hotel.
Although initially slated to begin in 2020, the expansion project was temporarily shelved due to the unforeseen advent of the global pandemic.
The timeline of the construction, along with detailed plans pertaining to street and parking lot closures, traffic flow, green space, and infrastructure, was presented to the public at a convention center town hall meeting held on August 9. For those seeking additional information regarding the road closures within District 9, where the convention center is situated, it is available on the official website of the City of Fort Worth at fortworthtexas.gov.
However, the expansion of the Fort Worth Convention Center isn’t the only significant construction project transpiring in Downtown Fort Worth. In support of the Convention Center’s expansion, the neighboring Omni Fort Worth Hotel has unveiled plans for a $200 million structure that will add 400 guest rooms and 50,000 square feet of new meeting space.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the Convention Center, the new Fort Worth campus of Texas A&M has broken ground. The plans encompass an innovation and research facility, a law and education building, and a gateway office building, with an expected completion date of October 2025.
