Dallas developer Jack Matthews is leading the redevelopment of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, a project valued between $3.3 billion and $3.5 billion. Matthews, president of his firm and operating as Inspire Dallas for this initiative, described the complexity of managing the project as “herding 26 cats,” according to comments reported by the Dallas Business Journal.
The first phase of this seven-part master plan will reorient the convention center at 650 South Griffin Street by rotating it 90 degrees to face north-south and extending it toward Interstate 30. The redesign includes a new “Great Hall” entry facing downtown, a rooftop ballroom, and consolidated meeting spaces that will now span two city blocks instead of six. The upgraded facility is expected to offer one million square feet of sellable space with larger ballrooms and exhibition areas aimed at keeping Dallas competitive for international events.
Construction progress has been largely out of public view so far, with Inspire Dallas crews focusing on testing, zoning issues, and addressing underground infrastructure such as buried pipes and aging gas lines.
“Our job is to look at all of those things, oversee it, control it, massage, push and threaten whatever it takes to get the right answer,” Matthews told city leaders.
The redevelopment faces logistical challenges due to FIFA’s use of existing convention halls as its International Broadcast Center during next year’s World Cup. This requires Matthews’ team to coordinate demolition and construction around 485,000 square feet dedicated to broadcast operations.
City officials anticipate that the revamped convention center will generate about $1.6 billion in economic impact. Sixty-four conventions have already been booked for future dates. To support early work on the project—including improvements to Dallas Memorial Arena and Pioneer Plaza—the City Council approved a $1 billion bridge loan with JPMorgan in June.
Matthews began acquiring land in the Cedars neighborhood in 1997 and has invested over $300 million there since then. He sees the convention center overhaul as crucial for integrating southwest downtown into a more connected mixed-use area.
“The southwest corner of the city is one of the last pieces to come to life,” he said. “The convention center helps that opportunity happen.”
