This week, construction started on a new hotel and conference center scheduled to open in late 2018 in Allen, Texas. Located 30 miles from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and eight miles from McKinney National Airport, the Delta by Marriott Hotel and Watters Creek Convention Center will offer 300 guest rooms and 90,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space. The new facility, which will be operated by Benchmark Hospitality, is expected to host groups from outside the state looking for a central location, as well as accommodating events for local corporations and organizations in and around the North Dallas area.
Karen Cromwell, director of the Allen Convention and Visitors Bureau, collected data over five years on groups who wanted to hold an event in Allen but were unable to because of a lack of appropriate meeting space. She says, “We could not accommodate groups that needed six or seven concurrent sessions for 75 to 100 people, as well as an exhibit space, so we were turning away a significant amount of business. We were able to build the case for the investment in a purpose-built facility.”
The 90,000 square feet of meeting space consists of a 12,000-square-foot, upscale ballroom featuring chandeliers and carpeting, and four breakout rooms designed for seminars and presentations totaling 10,000 square feet. A 40,000-square-foot exhibit hall, with high ceilings to accommodate exhibit booths, and even sporting events such as gymnastics and cheerleading, can hold more than a thousand attendees. In addition there are smaller meeting rooms and space for registration.
The Delta by Marriott hotel, a full-service, upscale brand aimed at business travelers, is the first in Texas and features a restaurant, bar, outdoor courtyard and reception space, and a swimming pool.
The site for the new hotel and exhibition complex was chosen because it is adjacent to the Watters Creek LINK http://www.watterscreek.com/ mixed-use, development, which has more than 20 bars and restaurants, indoor and outdoor live music venues, and upscale shopping around a central village green.
Daniel Bowman, CEO and executive director of the Allen Economic Development Corp., says, “The city will receive significant property taxes from the $91 million dollar investment, in addition to local hotel occupancy and sales taxes paid by visitors to the facility.”
