{"id":150054,"date":"2026-02-04T03:26:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T03:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/150054\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T03:26:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T03:26:10","slug":"fort-worth-unveils-plans-for-phase-2-of-convention-center-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/150054\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Worth Unveils Plans for Phase 2 of Convention Center Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Design Reflects Contemporary Architecture Rooted in Fort Worth\u2019s Heritage<\/p>\n

Fort Worth, Texas\u00a0\u2014 With the $95 million Phase 1 of the\u00a0Fort Worth Convention Center<\/a>\u00a0complete and the ribbon cut in December, Fort Worth is charging ahead with Phase 2 expansion and modernization plans presented to City Council Feb. 3. At $606 million, Phase 2 will deliver a new, flexible convention building in place of the 1968 arena and modernize the existing building that has not been significantly renovated since the previous expansion in 2003.<\/p>\n

A transparent, 4-story structure will feature a central tower at Main and 9th\u00a0Streets, reflecting the Tarrant County Courthouse on the north end of Main Street, a plaza with native prairie green space connecting to General Worth Square and terraces for outdoor events with expansive downtown views. Inside, flexible spaces and Texas-inspired design will enable Fort Worth to host larger conventions or two large events simultaneously. Once complete, the expanded and modernized facility will feature a total of 257,268 square feet of exhibit hall space, 60,917 square feet in meeting room space, 74,033 square feet in ballroom space and 16 loading docks.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Phase 2 expansion positions Fort Worth to not only attract more conventions and meetings, but also to deepen engagement with downtown businesses and residents,\u201d said Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. \u201cAs a key part of the transformation of the southeast quadrant of downtown, the new center will anchor a hub of economic growth and higher-education partnerships, and its beautiful design will showcase the Modern West brand that has helped make Fort Worth a stand-out destination among our peer cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

– Advertisement –\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Response to Research<\/p>\n

Previous studies estimated that Fort Worth could nearly double the convention business hosted by the City with an expanded and modernized facility. Those projections have been updated recently to also reflect focus group input from the center\u2019s current and prospective clients and the impacts of Texas A&M\u2019s Fort Worth campus under construction across Commerce Street, downtown residential development and post-pandemic tourism trends. \u201cOur customers shared their feedback, and we responded,\u201d said Bob Jameson, president and CEO of\u00a0Visit Fort Worth<\/a>. \u201cFrom flexible space configurations that allow for more breakout sessions to ceiling heights required for sports competitions, the expansion and renovation will provide modern amenities and an authentic Texas experience attendees are seeking. Even within the ballroom, guests will immediately feel that they are in Fort Worth, Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Intentional Design<\/p>\n

With Dickies Arena now the premier arena for Fort Worth, the 1968 downtown convention center arena will be demolished in early 2027 for the new building. Mobilization for demolition will begin in summer 2026, with the final event in the arena planned for September 2026. Completion of Phase 2 is scheduled for early 2030 and the center will continue to remain operational during construction. \u201cOur construction partners, exclusive service providers and our City Public Events team successfully navigated conventions and sporting events with very high Net Promoter Scores from clients during Phase 1,\u201d said Mike Crum, director of the City of Fort Worth Public Events Department. \u201cNow that we have 13 new docks, a state-of-the-art catering kitchen and a straightened Commerce Street, operationally we are set to continue exceeding expectations and already are booking business into 2030 and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

– Advertisement –\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Architectural language that will define the full expansion draws from downtown Fort Worth\u2019s material palette and civic character. Brick, limestone, copper, steel, and patina finishes ground the design in the city\u2019s urban fabric while introducing a contemporary interpretation of \u201cThe Modern West.\u201d Interior spaces will feature leather, mesquite wood, blackened metal and exposed structural steel, complemented by warm tones and custom patterns that nod to local culture, including carpet designs and ballroom ceilings inspired by Texas sunsets, cattle brands and the City\u2019s longhorn logo.<\/p>\n

Convention Center design is led by Atlanta-based architecture, interior design and planning firm\u00a0TVS<\/a>\u00a0and Fort Worth-based\u00a0Bennett Partners<\/a>.\u00a0The successful Phase 1 Construction Manager at Risk joint venture of\u00a0AECOMHunt,<\/a>\u00a0Byrne Construction<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0EJ Smith Construction<\/a>\u00a0will continue for Phase 2. Project management is overseen by Broaddus & Associates and Elements of Architecture, local companies with deep knowledge of Fort Worth\u2019s character, community partners and City government procedures.<\/p>\n

The Fort Worth Convention Center expansion has been shaped through ongoing collaboration with key stakeholders, including Downtown Fort Worth, Inc., the Downtown Design Review Board, and a city advisory committee composed of elected officials, business leaders and community representatives.<\/p>\n

– Digital Sponsors –\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Design Reflects Contemporary Architecture Rooted in Fort Worth\u2019s Heritage Fort Worth, Texas\u00a0\u2014 With the $95 million Phase 1…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":150055,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[116,118,117],"class_list":{"0":"post-150054","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fort-worth","8":"tag-fort-worth","9":"tag-fort-worth-headlines","10":"tag-fort-worth-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}