Austin and five other Texas cities are racing ahead with plans to expand their convention centers at once, but only in Austin are residents gathering signatures to potentially halt the project at the ballot box.
If this sounds like a familiar storyline, it’s because it is – almost. A similar citizen initiative appeared on the November 2019 ballot, but 54% of voters rejected it.
This time, the stakes are higher: Demolition of the Convention Center is already underway, with major excavation work set to begin in the fall to nearly double the facility’s footprint across six Downtown blocks. Construction of new building foundations will begin in early 2026, according to a Convention Center spokesman, with work expected to be completed in late 2028, and South by Southwest returning to the space the following March…