The Houston City Council this week paved the way for a new Marriott Marquis that will go up in Downtown Houston.

The 1,000-room hotel will be connected to the George R. Brown Convention Center. RIDA Development Corp. is developing the hotel through a cooperative endeavor with Houston First Corp.

Officials say the new hotel will significantly increase the amount of rooms around the convention center, making the city a more competitive destination for organizations looking to host large conferences, trade shows and events. Construction is slated to begin in 2014 and has a projected completion date of Spring 2016.

"We are so pleased with the city council's decision to move forward with the building of this convention center hotel. We are very excited about the opportunity to boost Houston's exposure and ability to host world-class conferences and events," says Ira Mitzner, president of RIDA Development. "RIDA is focused on building a smart, efficient convention-centric hotel and enhancing the surrounding district with activity centers that will appeal to visitors and Houstonians alike. RIDA is looking forward to providing local Houstonians and businesses with jobs that will be created as a result of this project."

The new convention center hotel, in addition to BBVA Compass Stadium, the recently announced Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage, and METRO's light rail expansion in the area are all vital projects contributing to the transformation of Houston's convention center district into a tourist and business destination.