Ribbon Cutting celebrates $95 million in upgrades, modernization
Photo credit: City of Fort Worth
The City of Fort Worth marked a major milestone in the first phase of the Fort Worth Convention Center’s expansion with a VIP ribbon cutting Monday, December 8.
New additions to the center, which remained operational during the past two years of construction, are now fully complete and open to convention clients and to the public.
Elected and tourism officials, business leaders and construction partners gathered at the striking new southeast entrance, which includes a lantern box atrium lobby and retail coffee bar called Beltbuckle Brew.
Speakers at the ceremony were Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, City Councilmember Elizabeth Beck (Dist. 9), Public Events Director Mike Crum, and Visit Fort Worth President & CEO Bob Jameson.
“Fort Worth provides the Texas experience that meeting planners want, and the Phase I convention center expansion and modernization exceeds those expectations,” said Mayor Parker. “This milestone, along with Phase II construction, will increase capacity to host conferences from across the nation, bolstering our already impressive convention and tourism industry.”
Tourism is a $3.5 billion industry for Fort Worth and one of its largest employers with more than 30,000 jobs, according to Visit Fort Worth. In 2024, Fort Worth welcomed 11.5 million visitors, generating $251 million in state and local taxes. The convention center expansion is part of the city’s larger economic development strategy to attract meetings from across the state and nation.
“This is only the first step in a bolder future for Fort Worth as a convention destination,” said Crum. “We’ve delivered Phase 1 on budget and on time, and design is almost complete for the second phase of expansion and modernization. We will have floor plans and renderings to share within the next few months that will illustrate big horizons ahead for Fort Worth’s meeting business.”
The expansion is taking place in two phases and the facility is remaining operational during both. Totaling 76,794 square feet, the $95 million Phase I includes a grand Southeast entrance and terrace, state-of-the-art food & beverage facilities, a retail coffee bar for casual networking, 11 new loading docks (up from seven), and realignment of Commerce Street to create a site pad for a future convention hotel and additional retail or restaurants.
The project emphasizes pedestrian access and improving the area’s walkability and connection to the surrounding neighborhood, which includes the Water Gardens, Trinity Metro Central Station, the new Texas A&M Fort Worth campus and surrounding hotels.
Phase II construction, estimated at $606 million, is anticipated to begin in late 2026 and run through early 2030.
