Houston Opens 1,000-Space GRB South Garage
The garage is the first completed piece of the $1.14 billion Convention District Transformation Project near the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Remote Work
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Houston has completed the 1,000-space GRB South Garage at 1835 Bell Street, a key component of the $1.14 billion Convention District Transformation Project. The garage is already serving Houston Rockets games, concerts and other events at Toyota Center.
Why it matters
The opening adds parking capacity to Houston's downtown convention district as the city prepares for future events. It also follows the demolition of the Avenida South Garage, which eliminated more than 1,400 spaces.
The GRB South Garage adds 1,000 spaces, while the Avenida South Garage demolition removed more than 1,400, so net downtown parking capacity from these two facilities has decreased. Project figures through September show about $389 million spent and more than 730,000 labor hours recorded, but the overall effect on parking availability during peak convention periods remains unmeasured.
The players
Houston First
Houston First is the public nonprofit that manages the city's convention and entertainment facilities, including the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Mayor Whitmire
John Whitmire is the mayor of Houston and joined the celebration of the garage's completion.
The details
The garage sits at 1835 Bell Street near Chenevert Street and is being used for Houston Rockets games, concerts and other events at Toyota Center. The Avenida Central Garage beneath Discovery Green, with 660 spaces, reopened for public parking after the GRB South Garage was completed.
Timeline
April 2025: Construction on the first phase began.
Six months before publication: The Avenida South Garage was demolished, eliminating more than 1,400 spaces.
Thursday, November 2026: Mayor Whitmire and Houston First celebrated completion of the GRB South Garage.
2027: A tunnel connecting the Hilton to the GRB South Garage is scheduled for completion.
May 2028: The first phase is scheduled to open ahead of the Republican National Convention that summer.
Roadmap
The project's funding model rests on Senate Bill 1057, signed into law in 2023, which lets Houston capture growth in the state's hotel occupancy tax revenue within a three-mile radius for 30 years. The GRB South Garage is the first visible result of that authority, with projections of nearly $2 billion for convention center improvements.
Visitors to Houston events at Toyota Center and the convention district now have an additional 1,000 spaces at the GRB South Garage to park in. Those attending events should expect the garage to be in use during major games and concerts.
The takeaway
The garage completion is an early visible step in a multi-phase redevelopment that is expected to continue through 2038. Commuters and event-goers should monitor parking availability as additional phases come online.
What happens next
The tunnel connecting the Hilton to the GRB South Garage is scheduled for completion in 2027, and the first phase is scheduled to open in May 2028.
Further reading
Explore more Remote Work coverage alongside the latest Houston business developments.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KPRC.
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