Fort Worth Convention Center

1101, 1201, & 1301 Houston - 1968; additions - 1983, 2002, 2003

Designed by a consortium of Fort Worth Architects, the convention center serves as a terminus to the south end of Main Street. This facility was an urban renewal project in the late 1960's which demolished a good portion of Hell's Half Acre. Many of the old buildings in that part of Downtown were similar in age and style to those in Sundance Square.  Over a period of the next five years, the center will be expanded in phases.  

The center's JFK Theater was demolished in July 2000 in order to make room for Phase 1.  Construction is now complete on Phases 1 and 2 of the major expansion and renovation.   Phase 1 has 57,600 square feet of exhibit hall expansion, 18,700 square feet of meeting rooms, and a 30,000 square foot ballroom.  The meeting rooms and ballroom are placed on a third level above the additional exhibit space.  In addition to this, the East Exhibits hall has been converted into a loading dock. 

The second phase, now complete, has additional space constructed on the west side of the exhibits hall, expanding the facility out to Houston Street.  The second phase features 21,600 of additional exhibit space and 15,000 square feet of new meeting rooms on the second floor.  With the Second Phase there is 204,200 s.f. of exhibit space. The total size of the center is now 716,000 square feet.

The Arena will possibly be demolished in a future third phase.  In this third phase, another 167,000 square feet of exhibit space will be added, along with 25,000 square feet of meeting rooms and a 40,000 plus square foot Grand Ballroom on the second floor.  The old East Exhibit Hall will also be demolished and Commerce will be straightened out.  A new loading dock building will be constructed across Commerce Street and connected by a tunnel.  When these phases of expansion are complete, the original exhibits hall will be the only portion remaining from the 1968 center.

Carter + Burgess of Fort Worth and HOK Architects of St. Louis are the firms in charge of this expansion and renovation project.  Walker Construction Company is the General Contractor for Phases 1 and 2.  A convention center hotel is also in the early planning stages at this time and the actual site has not been determined.

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