Dallas officials say a dispute over plans to redesign the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center has delayed its opening until 2030, forcing the city to relocate events expected at the facility.
The $3.8 billion project has now been delayed twice, and some City Council members have raised concerns about the city’s management of one of downtown’s most ambitious redevelopment efforts.
City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert sent a memo to council members Tuesday night flagging the latest delay. She said recent discussions about roads around the center, including at a committee meeting on Monday, prompted staff to delay the planned closure of Jefferson Boulevard while city leaders consider whether to redesign portions of the project.
The setback raises the stakes in an increasingly contentious debate over the project’s future, with city officials warning that continued disruptions could cost Dallas convention business and undermine years of planning for a redevelopment expected to reshape downtown.
Read more from our media partners, The Dallas Morning News.
Dallas leaders are weighing whether to change the height of the new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, a move that could affect key viaduct connections between downtown and Oak Cliff. Some residents and council members say removing part of the Jefferson Boulevard viaduct without immediate replacement funding could further divide southern Dallas, while city staff warn redesigns could delay the project beyond its planned 2029 opening. NBC 5’s David Goins has more.