Grapevine holding public hearing Tuesday March 25 on Gaylord Texan Resort’s proposed expansion

by Teresa Gubbins

GRAPEVINE — The city of Grapevine will hold a public hearing on Tuesday March 25 to talk about Gaylord Texan Resort's plans to build a new hotel wing and convention space.

Budgeted at $315 million, Gaylord's expansion would include a 12-story tower, 500 hotel rooms, 200,000 square feet more convention space, 600 more parking spaces, and a fancy pool.

Gaylord clearly, desperately needs this extra wing, given the paltry features it currently has to contend with. We are talking a mere 1,511 hotel rooms, a piddly 400,000 square feet of convention center, only 70 meeting and event spaces, a cramped 4.5-acre atrium with barely dozens of shops and restaurants, a teensy-weensy 25,000-sq-ft health spa, and only two ballrooms (one at 50,000-sq-ft and the other at 32,200-sq-ft).

The expansion would give the Gaylord Texan the 600,000 square feet of convention space and 2,011 hotel rooms it sorely needs.

Gaylord's pitch has incorporated the magic words that usually freeze the locals in their chairs: "2011 Super Bowl," which Gaylord officials say they need to prepare for. But the neighbors are still worried about the noise, damage to the nearby lake, and other intrusiveness that happens when you have a meg-resort next-door.

The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. at the City Council Chambers, 200 South Main Street, on the second floor.