South Padre Island City Council Member Joe Ricco, right, presents proposed convention center expansion plans as architect Raymundo Gignac, left, stands on stage during a March 3 open house at the South Padre Island Convention Center.
By JACQI LEYVA-HILL
Special to the PRESS
Residents gathered at the South Padre Island Convention Center on March 3 for an open house where South Padre Island City Council Member Joe Ricco presented information about a proposed expansion of the convention center while the city gathered feedback from residents.
The event allowed attendees to review informational display boards, view architectural renderings and complete surveys about the proposed project. According to Ricco, the city received several dozen completed surveys from residents during the event.
Ricco discussed the history of the convention center, noting that the facility opened in 1992 following discussions among community leaders in the late 1980s about building a venue to attract conferences and events to the island. He said expanding the convention center could help bring more events during slower tourism months.
“We’ve been looking for ways for decades to fill the gap in September, October, November and December,” Ricco said.
Architectural renderings and conceptual plans were presented by project architect Raymundo Gignac, who reviewed design concepts for a potential expansion of the convention center. During the presentation, Gignac said the current exhibit hall contains approximately 22,000 square feet of space, and the concept under consideration would expand the facility to about 50,000 square feet.
Informational displays at the open house outlined limitations of the existing facility and the potential economic impact of expanding the convention center. One display stated that events with more than 1,500 attendees often cannot be accommodated because of limited exhibit and meeting space.
Another display indicated that between 2018 and 2025, South Padre Island lost 356 potential events, representing approximately 69,000 room nights and an estimated $37.6 million in economic impact.
Additional displays highlighted the economic activity generated by events currently held at the convention center. According to figures presented for fiscal year 2024–2025, events at the facility generated more than $14.6 million in economic impact, with over 68,000 attendees and nearly 22,000 room nights associated with those events.
Displays also outlined potential funding sources for the project. Materials presented at the meeting indicated that approximately $42 million could be available without issuing bonds, including about $16 million from the city’s venue tax fund and approximately $26 million from excess reserves held by the South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Another display referenced a 2016 venue tax proposition approved by 819 voters, authorizing the city to pursue planning and development of convention center improvements funded through hotel occupancy tax revenues.
After reviewing the displays and listening to Ricco speak, some residents raised questions, including how the public could compare design options without estimated construction costs and how venue tax funds would be allocated among multiple projects, including the city’s water sports complex.
Residents were encouraged to review the materials and submit feedback through surveys provided during the open house.