It suddenly became imperative for every major city, and every small city that wanted to grow, to build a convention center. Such a facility would attract professional and political conventions and entertainment events. Those attending would fill local hotel rooms, enrich restaurants and retailers, and maybe even invest in new business enterprises. Dallas completed its convention center in 1954. It started small, spread to cover four city blocks in the following fifty years, and by the 2020s was deemed out of date and in need of replacement.
Dallas Public Library