After a decade of review and planning, the $1.6 billion UnconventionalATX redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center kicked off this April with demolition of the existing facility, which opened in 1992.
The eco-friendly tear down, which includes the salvage and reuse of materials like structural steel, reached the halfway stage in July, allowing for the simultaneous start of below-grade and foundation work.
On track for completion in December 2028, in time to welcome tens of thousands of South by Southwest (SXSW) attendees in March 2029 as its inaugural show, the new six-block building will allow Austin to spread its group wings like never before.
As Visit Austin President and CEO Tom Noonan recently shared with Meetings Today, the destination is taking proactive measures to safeguard and sustain group business over the next four years.
“We’re booking more in-house business and we’re going to go after what we’re calling ‘mini-wides’ versus citywides,” Noonan said. “Why not get a piece of business that spills into three or four hotels and doesn’t have to use the convention center, and incentivize groups to use that opportunity?”
Here are project highlights and an overview of how existing and new venues and hotels are stepping in and stepping up during the transformation.
A Force of Engineering, Nature and Art
Marking the deconstruction’s midway point was an emotional farewell to the center’s Austin Suite and its iconic Trinity Window. Renowned for hosting high-level, high-impact meetings, the expansive Suite was affectionately known as the “Death Star” for its resemblance to the infamous Star Wars space station.
Boosting total rentable space from the current 365,000 to 620,000 square feet, the new building will be a force. Investment highlights include four exhibit halls with 336,000 square feet of column-free space; four ballrooms totaling 47,000 square feet of space; 28 underground loading docks; and 70,000 square feet of outdoor space.
The building’s allure includes architecture, accessibility and art, all imparting an irresistible new identity and sense of place.
In a recent podcast with MPI’s Texas Hill Country chapter, Amy Harris, the center’s director of sales, spoke of how the existing “fortress” will become “the center of hospitality that connects guests to the city.”
As part of a broader accessibility plan for downtown Austin, the architecture will eliminate the old facility’s “blockade” effect by emphasizing community-centric elements such as street-level openness, green space and pedestrian access.
Reflecting Austin’s creative soul, the reimagination includes a $17.7 million investment in public art. Perpetuating the building’s leadership in sustainability, the engineering plan calls for creating the world’s first zero-carbon convention center, certified by the International Living Futures Institute, powered entirely by renewable energy in alignment with the city’s Climate Equity Plan.
Alternative Accommodations
The expansion is also expected to accelerate decade-long hotel development and renovation projects, yielding up to 17,000 downtown rooms by 2029, up from 15,700-plus currently.
Meanwhile, big-block, big-box group properties picking up the slack include the 1,048-room Fairmont Austin and 801-room Hilton Austin, offering 140,000-plus square feet and 112,000-plus square feet of versatile space, respectively.
Nearing completion on a $30 million renovation, the 1,012-room JW Marriott Austin, offering 115,000-plus square feet of space, belongs to White Lodging’s 10-property AustinPlace portfolio. Representing nearly one-quarter of Central Business District rooms, this Marriott-brand collection is the largest in Texas, offering 3,371 rooms and 220,000-plus square feet of meeting space.
“AustinPlace is not only set up to make it easy for meeting planners now, but it also strategically sets us up for the anticipated influx of business to come following the game-changing rebuild of the convention center,” stated White Lodging’s Chief Commercial Officer Chris Anderson in a release.
North of downtown in The Arboretum district, the 492-room Renaissance Austin has 81,000-plus square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Slated for completion this fall, the full renovation of the 448-room Hyatt Regency Austin, offering 45,000-plus square feet of indoor and outdoor space, includes three newly refreshed ballrooms.
Targeting September 2026, the 251-room 1 Hotel Austin marks the eco-focused brand’s Lone Star debut in dramatic fashion as part of a mixed-use 74-story tower, poised to be the tallest in Texas.
Other venues filling the void include the Palmer Events Center, offering 70,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space in two halls, 50,000 square feet of canopied outdoor space and 5,000 square feet of meeting and reception space. The award-winning 15,000-plus seat Moody Center offers multiple indoor and outdoor rental spaces. Connected to W Austin, which completed a $40 million renovation in 2024, the iconic Austin City Limits (ACL) Live at Moody Theater hosts large-scale private events.
Smart Alternatives
Anchoring the University of Texas at Austin’s six-property, 1,032-room University Hotel Collection, AT&T Hotel and Conference Center is the hub of a unique “mini-wide” solution for groups.
“We are proud to step forward as a trusted alternative for planners while Austin transforms its convention center,” said Josh Delgado, the property’s director of sales and marketing. “Offering more than 85,000 square feet of versatile meeting space spanning three ballrooms and 53 total meeting rooms, we are uniquely positioned to ‘fill the gap’ without compromising on experience.”
Designed for innovation and collaboration, the 297-room property anticipates completing a $30 million conference center upgrade by summer 2026 that Delgado said “will elevate every guest touchpoint and meet evolving planner needs.”
With bookings increasing year over year, “especially from those seeking campus-style events,” he added that “in collaboration of the University of Texas, Moody Center, museums and hotel partners, groups of 1,000 or more benefit from an authentically Austin environment.”
[Related: The Most Recent Property Openings, Renovations and Other Development News in Texas (2025)]
Another fetching option is taking shape 20 minutes north of Austin in the fast-growing city of Cedar Park. Aiming to boost its position in the regional MICE market, the city is investing $95 million in the new Marriott Hotel & Convention Center as part of a mixed-use development. Targeting an early 2027 opening, the project, complementing the nearby 12,000-seat H-E-B Center arena, will include 200 guest rooms, 25,000 square feet of space, a restaurant and a rooftop bar.
“With the temporary closure of the Austin Convention Center, our new facility arrives at a critical moment for the region, offering meeting planners a dynamic, high-quality alternative just minutes from downtown Austin,” said Arthur Jackson, the city’s chief economic development officer. “From state-of-the-art event space, great restaurants and walkable amenities, we are filling a vital gap while supporting the continued momentum of Central Texas’ meetings and events economy.”
Anticipation and expectations are high in Austin.
“We’re on track with our timeline, and when complete, UnconventionalATX will place Austin among the top U.S. convention centers, capable of hosting larger and multiple events simultaneously,” said Austin Convention Center Director Trisha Tatro. “Expected to generate $285 million annually in economic impact, $12 million in tax revenue and support around 1,600 jobs, this project redevelopment is more than just a building—it is a lasting investment in our community, culture and Austin’s future.”
As Noonan said, “There are so many great things afoot here right now that are going to change the city dramatically in the next five years—the whole destination that we’re selling is going to be completely different. Austin’s always been a hot destination. We’re going to be that next hot destination again.”
