Convention Center Expansion Updates

[BrBlu]

I mean, have I ever even been in the convention center? lol no. so if they are going to suggest the $1.5 billion go elsewhere I would like to see what it would do. I get their point, and while I don’t mind the idea of the new semi attractive convention center and what it brings to the economy I feel like it doesn’t hurt to just see what else could be suggested? We are slowly chipping away at what made Austin Austin so if they can somehow successfully address that I would actually back them instead. I think hmmm this was unexpected

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by BrBlu

I mean, have I ever even been in the convention center? lol no. so if they are going to suggest the $1.5 billion go elsewhere I would like to see what it would do. I get their point, and while I don’t mind the idea of the new semi attractive convention center and what it brings to the economy I feel like it doesn’t hurt to just see what else could be suggested? We are slowly chipping away at what made Austin Austin so if they can somehow successfully address that I would actually back them instead. I think hmmm this was unexpected

are you serious? the convention center has already been torn down. this is why our country is regressing. people who no knowledge, no expertise, no awareness of the situation, etc. suddenly forming an opinion and feeling the world needs to listen.

we need a convention center. story over. what is wrong with you people?

[ILUVSAT]

I love (not really) how folks think that money is going to get "reallocated." If the center is not built, the money disappears.

And, for the love of the good Lord - stop it with the old Austin bull. Austin will NEVER be the Austin of old. Neither will Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, New York, LA, Chicago, London, Paris, etc., etc., etc. Cities must grow and evolve with the times. Should they not, they will die. It is insane to think otherwise.

What's that adage...one cannot look forward while looking backward. Well, I'm glad some leaders in Austin are looking forward. It is a complete waste of time to "wish" for the past.

[lonewolf]

does anybody think this thing has a snowballs chance in hell of shutting down the new convention center? i certainly don't

[78701]

Originally Posted by BrBlu

I mean, have I ever even been in the convention center? lol no.

Ah, the most important question of the day. "Have I been to the convention center?"
Well, gosh darn I haven't, it can't possibly be needed for anything then.
It is impossible to understand that other people may see the world differently if you think other people don't even exist.

[SproutingTowers]

I regularly gone to the Austin Convention Center for something for either work or pleasure and compared to others convention centers I have been too ... this one was completely outdated and small. Convention centers are generally the #1 income generator for a city but many people don't know. Just this weekend I visited some downtown hotels about their event space while the new convention center gets rebuilt.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

I love (not really) how folks think that money is going to get "reallocated." If the center is not built, the money disappears.

And, for the love of the good Lord - stop it with the old Austin bull. Austin will NEVER be the Austin of old. Neither will Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, New York, LA, Chicago, London, Paris, etc., etc., etc. Cities must grow and evolve with the times. Should they not, they will die. It is insane to think otherwise.

What's that adage...one cannot look forward while looking backward. Well, I'm glad some leaders in Austin are looking forward. It is a complete waste of time to "wish" for the past.

Thank you - FFS, "Old Austin" is ALWAYS Austin of 30 years ago. no matter the decade. Austin today is the "Old Austin" of 2055. Think about the austin of TOMORROW, not of 30 years ago!

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Thank you - FFS, "Old Austin" is ALWAYS Austin of 30 years ago. no matter the decade. Austin today is the "Old Austin" of 2055. Think about the austin of TOMORROW, not of 30 years ago!

this old austin mindset is literally top 3 one the worst things about this city. these people are actively destroying the city.

[rayfes]

leveling complete. bring on the excavation



as someone that walks back from Rainey to the core of DT the old convention center was an obstacle and I look forward to being able cross right through more pleasant spaces

[gillynova]

Kinda looks like a huge desert

[Echostatic]

It's crazy to see such a barren expanse in the middle of Downtown, overshadowed by a supertall. Probably never going to see views like that again.

[BrBlu]

What’s the legal stopping point now? They can do everything but officially start building anything structural?

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by BrBlu

What’s the legal stopping point now? They can do everything but officially start building anything structural?

There is no legal stopping point. They are already building the structure with the start of diaphragm wall construction.

[drummer]

Yeah, it's underway. Do we now change this thread to UC?

Crazy to see things like this - we talk about them for years and it seems like it'll never happen, then it does.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by drummer

Yeah, it's underway. Do we now change this thread to UC?

Crazy to see things like this - we talk about them for years and it seems like it'll never happen, then it does.

I still remember when the convention center came out in 2014 and said, "for the love of god, buy the parcel to the west of us now before prices rise" and the new 10-1 council was still learning how to do their job and kicking the can down the road.

Originally Posted by BrBlu

What’s the legal stopping point now? They can do everything but officially start building anything structural?

A judge will have to stop construction. It's possible Bunch could sue the city to get that to happen once the signatures are validated and council votes to put the proposal up to a vote. Has anyone seen what Bunch proposed for the ballot language? A lot of their promises about how they want to use the hotel tax money runs amok of state law.

[Urbannizer]

Austin Convention Center by Paul O'Connell, on Flickr

[SproutingTowers]

Petition rejected to halt redevelopment of Austin Convention Center

The Austin City Clerk announced Nov. 14 that the Austin United PAC didn’t submit the required 20,000 valid signatures to force a ballot measure that could delay or kill the redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center, which began in April.
- Austin Business Journal

[Nickelplate]

Originally Posted by SproutingTowers

Petition rejected to halt redevelopment of Austin Convention Center

The Austin City Clerk announced Nov. 14 that the Austin United PAC didn’t submit the required 20,000 valid signatures to force a ballot measure that could delay or kill the redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center, which began in April.
- Austin Business Journal

All those in favor of putting a damper on progress and development in this city say aye. All those opposed please have patience while these idiots get thwarted by prevailing intelligence.

[wwmiv]

The lack of signatures has more to do with lack of finances than lack of plausible signatories.

To run such a campaign successfully, you’d need 100k, easy, to get the 25-30k sigs you’d want for assurance it goes to ballot:

15-20k consulting and design fees
10-15k printed materials / signs
60-65k 2 organizers / 10-15 canvassers / 5 textbankers across across 3 months
5-10k targeted daily digital ads for foaming the runway for canvassers
10-15k for “canvassed: no-contact” follow-up text blasts (~10k texts / week) plumbing for digital sigs

Plus recruited volunteer labor on weekends (might get you ~1k total sigs)

Nobody with money is donating that money when it’s antithetical to their interests.

Then there’s the actual campaign… which would be another 150k on top of that.

[ILUVSAT]

I'm not well versed in this area...is it common for only 2% of a city's population to force a ballot measure?