Dallas Moving Forward on New Convention Center, Improvements at Fair Park

DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF) – During its meeting on Wednesday, the Dallas City Council approved a resolution allowing for use of the Brimer Bill to fund the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas expansion and certain Fair Park improvement projects.

According to the city, the next step is for the City Manager to send the resolution to the State of Texas Comptroller for review. After the review is successfully completed, Dallas City Council will vote on whether to call an election for the public to approve the Brimer Bill funding.

“With today’s City Council vote toward adding funding for the Convention Center and Fair Park improvements to the November 8 ballot, Downtown Dallas, Fair Park and Southern Dallas can increase public investment advancing equity and uniting our City as One Dallas without increasing property taxes,” said Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax.

On February 9, the Dallas City Council approved the 3C – West of Lamar expansion option, which meets the KBHCCD Master Plan’s goals and objectives and the recommended Convention Center space allocation program. This option includes opportunities for elevated ballrooms with downtown views, opens Griffin and Lamar Streets to natural light, and reconfigures Lamar Street to create a central lobby and an enhanced pedestrian experience.

The city also plans to acquire, construct, and improve certain facilities located at Fair Park, including the Automotive Building, an exhibit hall; the Centennial Building, an exhibit hall; the Band Shell, a music hall; the Music Hall, a music hall; the Cotton Bowl, a stadium; the Coliseum, a stadium, and related infrastructure.

With voter approval, Dallas will initiate a new hotel occupancy tax at a rate of 2 percent. The maximum hotel occupancy tax rate imposed from all sources in the City of Dallas would be fifteen percent of the price paid for a room in a hotel. The funding from the new hotel occupancy tax rate will be a major source of funding of the KBHCCD expansion and Fair Park facilities improvements, detailed below. There would be no tax increases imposed on the residents of Dallas.