San Antonio Plans $850M Convention Center Expansion and $125M in Alamodome Improvements

San Antonio’s downtown redevelopment plans are taking shape around an $850 million expansion of the Henry B. González Convention Center and a separate $125 million improvement program at the Alamodome.

Discussed at the October 28 City Council meeting, the proposals are key components of Project Marvel, the city’s planned sports and entertainment district.

The Convention Center expansion would add more than 209,000 square feet of exhibit, ballroom and meeting space, alongside a connection to Hemisfair’s Civic Park. Populous, the architectural firm working with the city, said the additional exhibit space would place the venue among the nation’s 10 largest by that measure.

The city plans to split the expansion into two phases. An estimated $700 million first phase would deliver the new exhibit and ballroom facilities, while a $150 million second phase would provide most of the additional meeting space. That second phase could wait until economic conditions improve.

Officials want to issue a design solicitation in spring 2027, with construction expected to begin in late 2028 or early 2029. The latest $850 million estimate is approximately $100 million above the city’s previous working figure.

At the Alamodome, the proposed $125 million would fund operational and capital improvements over the next decade. A larger transformation, with potential scenarios exceeding $1 billion, has been deferred until 2035 or later as the city balances other downtown commitments.

Financing for both proposals would draw on hotel-related revenues, including state taxes captured through the project finance zone and the city’s hotel occupancy tax.