GRB updated
Houston developer will lead $2B renovation of downtown convention center
Houston's premier convention center will be updated and expanded by the Hines corporation.
A comprehensive renovation of downtown Houston's George R. Brown Convention Center will be handled by Hines, a Houston-based development corporation that has been part of many other high-profile projects in the area. Houston First Corporation, the city’s official marketing direction organization that also operates the GRB, will oversee the project. Their board selected Hines unanimously.
For 37 years, the GRB has been the crown jewel of Houston convention centers. It’s enormous size and quirky, cruise ship-inspired design add to its notoriety. That said, the old building is definitely in need of some updating.
Luckily, the center had a champion in the state legislature last year. Former state senator turned Houston mayor John Whitmire authored SB 1057. It allows Houston to use increased taxes on downtown hotels for improvements like this. Though the $2 billion price tag is high, the update is not expected to cost taxpayers any extra income.
Hines is the perfect company to handle the project. They handled the development of downtown's Texas Tower office high-rise, the Hilton Americas convention center hotel, and the Toyota Center.
“We are honored to partner with Houston First on the convention district transformation project," said John Mooz, senior managing director at Hines in a statement. “As a significant stakeholder in Houston's central business district for over 50 years, we understand the vital importance of this ambitious and truly impactful project. Our team is committed to helping Houston First create a convention campus and entertainment district that showcases the best of Houston and catalyzes economic growth for the entire city. We look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to bring this visionary plan to fruition.”
Plans for the renovation are still being finalized. They're expected to include expanding the campus' footprint by adding additional meeting areas to the south of the convention center proper. Pedestrian and car access is also slated to be improved on. More green spaces could be added.
The expansion will be done in tandem with TxDOT's plans to reroute I-45 so that it runs parallel to US-59. A daunting project in and of itself, coordination between the two is essential if the city’s largest convention center is to remain viable over the next several years.
And years it will take. Construction will start in early 2025, and Houston First hopes to be completed by summer 2028 when Houston will once again host the Republican National Convention.
The good news is that GRB is slated to remain open throughout the project, which means events such as Comicpalooza and other annual gatherings will happen as scheduled.
