The new $17.6 million Harlingen Convention Center is open for business. The 44,436-square-foot facility was dedicated in May with great fanfare.
Soon after, construction started on a $25-million five-story Hilton Garden Inn with 149 rooms adjacent to the convention center. That project is expected to be complete in 12 to 14 months. The hotel is being developed by BC Lynd, which will also manage the convention center.
Advance bookings for the convention center include several corporate events, quinceaneras and weddings. Religious events have been scheduled for almost 40 Sundays.
The convention center offers a variety of configurations to host events of different types. The main ballroom can seat about 1,500 people in a concert setting, or divided into smaller venues for company meetings or private celebrations.
Dedication ceremony guests toured the facility, where rooms were decorated as they might be for weddings, parties, business meetings and other events. Rooms in the center are named for some of the Rio Grande Valley’s specialty birds, such as Great Kiskadee, Green Jay and Oriole.