NBC5: City to host town halls on major Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center project

View original broadcast feature and story here: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/city-to-host-town-halls-on-major-kay-bailey-hutchison-convention-center-project/3661716/

(Alanna Quillen) - On Thursday, the first of three town halls will take place on the major plan to expand the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.

Residents can weigh in and learn more from city leaders about the $3 billion project that is expected to create more jobs, boost tourism, and form a bridge between downtown and South Dallas. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD) Master Plan is considered by many stakeholders to be one of the biggest projects in Downtown Dallas for generations.

The 65-year-old building will go through a major expansion, taking over empty lots and garages around it. Plans also include adding in more residential, hotel, retail, and restaurant space throughout the convention center district.

The Interstate 30 canyon will get a once-in-a-generation upgrade, with the convention center and the interstate no longer being a dividing point between downtown and South Dallas.

If you live, commute, or spend any time in the downtown area, this project will impact you in the years to come. That's why Downtown Dallas Inc. Is keeping a close eye on this project and the town halls that are keeping residents in the loop.

“It's hard to believe November will be two years since the voters voted for Proposition A, which was to begin this work,” said Jennifer Scripps, president and CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc. "I think it's a good way to take stock and see how far we've come in almost two years, but really the work ahead of us as we march towards opening day in 2029."

DDI is an advocacy group for the 80,000 people living in a two-mile radius of downtown Dallas, which has undergone a population boom in recent years.