# DANA and AURA on Convention Center Expansion

**URL:** <https://forum.atxfriends.org/t/dana-and-aura-on-convention-center-expansion/282>\
**Category:** General Austin\
**Created:** [November 12, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.atxfriends.org/t/dana-and-aura-on-convention-center-expansion/282 "2015-11-12T19:32:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![rcauvin](https://forum.atxfriends.org/user_avatar/forum.atxfriends.org/rcauvin/32/4_2.png) [@rcauvin](https://forum.atxfriends.org/u/rcauvin)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.atxfriends.org/t/dana-and-aura-on-convention-center-expansion/282/1 "2015-11-12T19:32:56Z")

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The Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association (DANA) has not taken a position on the proposed Convention Center expansion, but we sent this letter to City Council today:

> **[DANA Convention Center Expansion Letter (2015-11-12).pdf](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9GHftj8OAbmTnpWNUNRcHdNNzg/view?usp=sharing)**
>
> Google Drive file.

DANA had facilitated a stakeholder forum to discuss pros and cons of the proposed expansion, and we also invited a convention-center expert, Professor Heywood Sanders, to meet with Council members to provide his insights on the potential return on investment and the economics of the industry.

Our letter enumerates concerns that Professor Sanders and some of DANA’s 12,000 downtown residents expressed.

Separately, AURA, a grass-roots urbanist group, went further and has taken a position against the proposed expansion:

> **[Convention Center Follies; Austin Edition - AURA](https://aura-atx.org/convention-center-follies-austin-edition/)**
>
> The Austin Convention Center has recommended a long range master plan laying out their case for expansion west, taking the blocks bounded by 2nd on the South, 4th on the North, Trinity on the East, and San Jacinto on the West.  AURA opposes this...