Austin Convention Center Redevelopment Under Construction Downtown

The City of Austin has been issued building permits valued at $418,582,000 for the Austin Convention Center Redevelopment, known as UnconventionalATX, at 500 E Cesar Chavez St. The five-story project totals 1,437,569 square feet gross, with two levels below grade and three above. LMN/Page is the architect. Demolition began after the prior facility closed in April 2025 and wrapped in October 2025.

The redevelopment expands rentable space from 365,000 to 620,000 square feet: 550,000 interior and 70,000 outdoor. Components include a 336,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 47,000-square-foot ballroom, and roughly 36,000 square feet of first-floor meeting space. The center's existing five-story, 685-space garage at 601 E 5th Street stays open during construction.

Public-facing elements include street-level retail, an east-west Paseo along 2nd Street, a restored 3rd Street, and a Waterloo Greenway connection. A $17.7 million public art program will feature 10 local artists. The project targets ILFI Zero Carbon certification, which would make it the world's first zero-carbon convention center.

Funding comes from the Hotel Occupancy Tax and convention center revenues, with no property tax dollars. The city projects an additional $285 million in annual economic impact and 1,600 jobs.

Substantial completion is targeted for late 2028, with reopening in early 2029 ahead of SXSW.

Correction, Oct. 21, 2026: An earlier version of this story described the 685-space garage at 601 E 5th Street as planned and said demolition was done by April 2025. The garage already exists and stays open, and demolition wrapped in October 2025.