New Doings in the Suburbs
Allen makes grab for Dallas convention business with new mega-facility

The city of Allen is looking to compete with other local cities for conferences and other big events with the addition of a new convention center and hotel, set to be built on property at the northwest corner of U.S. 75 and Bethany Drive.
Construction on the $91 million facility, which will contain a four-star, full-service Delta by Marriott Hotel and attached convention center, will begin later in April, with the goal of opening sometime in 2018.
The property, being developed by Altera Development, sits directly across the street from the popular mixed-use center Watters Creek at Montgomery Farm, which contains a variety of high-end shopping and dining options.
The project will feature 300 guest rooms; 1,000 parking spaces; and 90,000 square feet of convention, ballroom, and meeting space, with the hope of drawing a wide range of events, organizations, and visitors to Allen. The city, which has pledged $10 million in Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenue toward the management operation of the convention center, will move the Allen Convention & Visitors Bureau to the facility.
Allen has recently added corporate headquarters for businesses like WatchGuard Video and KONE, and sees the addition of convention center space as a draw for other corporate relocations. The convention center is located in Watters Creek Office Park, surrounded by more than 900,000 square feet of planned Class A office space.
Delta by Marriott is Marriott’s newest upscale, full-service hotel brand. The new hotel will feature a restaurant, grab-and-go cafe, lobby bar, outdoor entertainment courtyard, fitness center, and swimming pool.