Overview
- The Dallas City Council voted 9-6 to keep the convention center two stories lower than the original plan, a change driven by about $500 million in earlier cost cuts.
- That lower profile prevents the Houston Street and Jefferson Boulevard viaducts from passing under the building, breaking the existing direct traffic links between Oak Cliff and downtown.
- City staff propose short-term fixes that would reduce Houston Street to one lane each direction, dead-end Jefferson into the Reunion parking garage, and build a future flyover ramp, but detailed designs and required approvals remain unresolved.
- City managers told council members that reverting to the taller design would add about $597 million, push completion back roughly a year, and create immediate revenue losses while Visit Dallas says over 40 conventions for 2030 can no longer be accommodated.
- The debate reflects a split between officials prioritizing cost and schedule to preserve bookings and tax revenue and neighborhood and tourism leaders who warn the change will worsen access and could cost the city up to about $2 billion in visitor spending.