Here’s what’s replacing the ‘flying saucer’ at the Fort Worth Convention Center
City officials unveiled plans for the second phase of the Fort Worth Convention Center expansion and modernization project, giving a glimpse at what the space will look like once it’s completed in the next four years — potentially with a new name to go with the new look.
Phase two plans call for an additional 74,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, bringing the total exhibit hall size to more than 250,000 square feet. Meeting room space will increase from 29,000 to more than 66,000 square feet. A second ballroom, 40,000 square feet in size, will be added at the opposite end of the building from the existing 28,000-square-foot ballroom.
The flying-saucer shaped arena, built in 1968, will be demolished in favor of a new layout that incorporates elevated views of downtown Fort Worth through glass facades on the convention center’s north side (facing Ninth Street), west side (facing Houston Street) and east side (facing Commerce Street).
Phase one of the renovations were completed in December. Those additions included a new entrance and a coffee bar on the Commerce Street side, more loading docks to alleviate traffic congestion during conventions and an enlarged catering area.
The phase one work cost $95 million and came in on time and under budget, said Mike Crum, director of the city’s Public Events Department. The price tag for the total project is $700 million, and work should be completed by the end of 2029.
Crum said plans are also underway to find a naming rights partner for the renovated convention, which could net the city between $450,000 and $500,000 in annual revenue. The Public Events Department will begin working with a marketing firm in 2027 to identify a sponsorship partner. Negotiations will likely take place in 2028 and 2029.
At the end of his convention center presentation to the City Council on Feb. 3, Crum announced he would be leaving his director role after six years to return home to North Carolina. Cynthia Sanchez Serrano, deputy director of the Public Events Department, will take over as director, and Crum will stay on as deputy director for a time, after which he will serve as a consultant on the convention center project.
This story was originally published February 3, 2026 at 5:51 PM.