Petition to block Austin Convention Center expansion axed

AUSTIN, Texas — Citing a lack of signatures, the Austin city clerk has rejected an effort to block the expansion of the Austin Convention Center.

According to the Austin Business Journal, the city clerk said the Austin United PAC didn’t receive enough signatures to halt the project.

“The City has determined that the Convention Center petition fails to meet the requirement for the minimum number of signatures of valid voters,” Erika Brady, the Austin city clerk, said in a statement to the Austin Business Journal.

Brady went on to say that through a third-party review, the city is “highly confident (99.986%)” that the petition received less than 20,000 signatures.

A report from the Austin American Statesman in October said the petition had 21,000 signatures — 1,000 more than what was needed to leave the decision up to a May 2026 election. The city clerk was tasked with validating the signatures.

The convention center’s expansion, which started in April, would increase its rentable space by 70%. 

The Austin United PAC argues that the funds put toward the project should instead go towards the city’s culture, arts and parks funding.