2026 Impact Report
When it reopens in 2029, the Austin Convention Center will be setting a global standard as the world’s first Zero Carbon Certified Convention Center. Building on the previous facility’s LEED O+M Gold certification, and powered by renewable energy, the new convention center will emerge as a leader in environmental stewardship.
The City of Austin and a joint venture of JE Dunn + Turner Construction have partnered to deliver an expanded facility offering 620,000 SF of rentable space, including 70,000 SF outdoor. The reimagined center will feature flexible exhibit halls, state-of-the-art conference rooms, ballrooms, and an event concourse hall with mass timber ceilings, making it an ideal space to host everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale conventions.
To achieve Zero Carbon Certification, embodied carbon must be reduced in building materials by 20%, operational carbon use reduced by 20%, and no carbon combustion onsite during building operations. To meet these goals, the JE Dunn – Turner Joint Venture team identified low-carbon steel mills, partnered with local suppliers to develop low-carbon concrete mixes, repurposed salvaged materials from the previous convention center, and utilized hybrid generators, electric equipment, and solar lighting to minimize on-site carbon use.
