HOUSTON – Nov. 11, 2026 – Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP served as co-bond counsel and tax counsel to the city of Houston in connection with the issuance of approximately $1.38 billion in hotel occupancy tax and special revenue bonds, a transaction named 2026 Southwest Deal of the Year by The Bond Buyer. Proceeds will support the first phase of Houston’s multibillion-dollar Convention District Transformation Project.
The financing comprised four series of bonds: $149 million in tax-exempt Senior Lien Revenue Refunding Bonds (Series 2026A); $52.9 million in taxable Senior Lien Revenue Refunding Bonds (Series 2026B); $1.096 billion in tax-exempt First Lien Revenue and Refunding Bonds (Series 2026C); and $78 million in tax-exempt Second Lien Revenue Bonds (Series 2026D). The transaction also included a tender offer through which the city repurchased approximately $208 million in outstanding bonds from existing bondholders.
The financing will fund the first phase of the transformation of the George R. Brown Convention Center district in downtown Houston. The project’s centerpiece is GRB South, a new 700,000-square-foot building that will connect directly to the existing George R. Brown Convention Center. The project also includes a new 100,000-square-foot pedestrian plaza linking the facility to Toyota Center. GRB South is scheduled to open in May 2028.
The Bond Buyer Deal of the Year awards recognize outstanding achievements in municipal finance transactions throughout the year. The publication has named 10 Deal of the Year honorees for 2026, with the national Deal of the Year winner to be announced Dec. 1 at an awards ceremony in New York City.
The Greenberg Traurig team was led by Public Finance & Infrastructure Shareholders Adrian Patterson and Taylor Klavan, both based in Houston; Shareholder Alexander L. Scarola in Philadelphia; and Of Counsel James Hernandez in Houston. Associates Louis Couture in Philadelphia and Caroline Sage in Houston supported the financing.