Tyler celebrates grand opening of W.T. Brookshire Conference Center

TYLER — The W.T. Brookshire Conference Center Grand Opening took place Thursday. The event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and fireworks, celebrating the building’s grand opening that is 30 years in the making. Mayor Don Warren and four former Tyler mayors came together to celebrate the momentous occasion, our news partner KETK reports. “The WT Brookshire Conference Center is the centerpiece and offers this community a conference experience like no other,” said Warren. From start to finish, Warren explained that the project wasn’t easy, but worth it for the City of Tyler. “Getting a project of this magnitude off the ground is challenging at anytime but doing it during a pandemic is a whole new ball game,” said Warren.

The previous conference center on the lot was known as Harvey Hall, which became ingrained in Tyler’s culture.

“The Harvey convention center is a special part of our memories,” Warren said. “Being a native Tylerite and growing up here, I have come to so many functions at Harvey Hall. I have a ton of memories, and I know many of you do as well, so thank you to the Harvey family.”

Brad Brookshire, Chairman/CEO of Brookshire Grocery Co., came to the podium to express his excitement that his family feels for this grand opening as the Brookshire name started as a small grocery store with four employees in 1928 in Tyler. They now have 19,000 employees, with 2,700 employees in Tyler and Smith County. “It’s fantastic. I can’t wait for y’all to see it,” Brookshire said. “Making this partnership between the city of Tyler and Brookshire’s Grocery Company is really the perfect match. My grandfather would be very, very proud of this magnificent new building made in his honor.”

Warren rejoined the podium for some final words before the ribbon cutting to give one final goodbye to Harvey Hall and welcome in the new conference center. “When we said goodbye to Harvey Hall, we had a drone in the sky and we turned and waved,” Warren said. “We have another drone out tonight, so let’s turn and say hello to the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center.”

The event had food donated by FRESH by Brookshire’s along with a small firework ceremony to cap off the event.