Ashley Cox, along with other attorneys in Lubbock County’s Civil Division, were asked to find out how the Expo Center project got stalled, where it stands now and where it needs to go next.
“We live in a world of critics, right? I have been one of them,” Cox told the county’s oversight board – the Local Government Corporation (LGC) on Wednesday.
“Not my circus, not my monkeys,” she said was her sense of frustration with the project two years ago when she first started working for the county.
Ashley Cox, ADA,
District Attorney’s Office – Civil Division Credit: Staff photo.
However, when Cox finished presenting an action plan Wednesday, several LGC members were optimistic along with county commissioners who also attended.
In 2018, voters approved a hotel tax to pay for a multipurpose venue. The non-profit Lubbock County Expo Center, Inc. was formed that year as part of public/private partnership with the county. LCEC donated land in 2021 to the county at North Loop 289 and North University Avenue. LCEC has been collecting donations to cover whatever a hotel tax and car rental tax do not.
Cox pointed to a stack of architectural drawings on the table.
“We have $4-plus-million worth of design here and construction plans that we can’t use,” Cox said.
Architectural plans on the table in LGC meeting. Credit: Staff photo.
What she described as a $54 million plan before COVID blew up to $120 million at one point. Construction costs went up everywhere, not just the proposed Expo Center.
“It is not for lack of trying. It is not nefarious. … It just didn’t work. And we couldn’t have possibly foreseen that,” Cox said.
LCEC’s plan was pared back several times – currently a $67 million project mirroring design of Abilene’s Taylor Telecom Arena.
Two recent LGC meetings, including one with an LCEC presentation, were contentious.
Take a look now
More recently, Cox’s boss, civil division chief Neal Burt asked her to join other attorneys working on the project.
“What do you think the first thing I said was? And you’ve heard it a million times. We are seven years – and what? – $7 million down the road. And does the county have anything to show for it?” Cox said.
“But it’s important for us in the arena to know that that’s not true – that we do have something to show for that. And I’m convinced of that,” Cox added.
The pitch for her action plan to the LGC was, “We are the people in the arena who are going to build the arena. … We’re the team.”
She introduced her plan with a list of accomplishments.
“The critic doesn’t know all the infrastructure out there the sewage, the drainage, the electricity. … Drake Street, about a half a mile of that, is built out to perfection.”
Permitting and zoning are done, she said, adding, “Those are all battles that have already been won.”
Critics would say LCEC hasn’t done enough with private donations, according to Cox. But she pointed out the Moody Foundation pledged a $6 million donation, of which, $2 million is in the bank, adding 80 acres donated to Lubbock County is worth almost $2 million.
“There are multiple people who have pledged more than $15 million. That has value and those people are part of the arena. The critic would say it’s not enough,” Cox said.
Within the last month, she asked LCEC board members to give her a tour of the site.
“That last exit on University, we’re going to close that off. And instead of it being an offramp, we’re going to be an onramp,” Cox quoted the LCEC board as saying.
“And I’m like, ‘You all have gotten TxDOT to approve all that?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh yeah.’ … Think of all the meetings that that took. Think of all the hours and all the effort that went into that. … Our value isn’t in just the $7 million. Our value is in all the work that has been done. … Those are big things … to be proud of and to be honored,” Cox told the LGC.
Action items
Cox then went through a list of things needing to be done.
First, LCEC needs a contract with Parkhill – which designed the Abilene arena. Cox was clear, LCEC needs to pay for it – referencing a stack of drawings by MWM Architects.
“Before the county puts any more money into another design, because the county paid for this one, the taxpayers paid for this one … they bring their money to the table first,” Cox said.
“There needs to be some sort of presentation so that the commissioners can see it, and the voters can see it. … We need for LCEC to come and knock everybody’s socks off with the new design that they’ve paid for,” Cox said.
Cox asked the LGC to discuss in January a resolution for county commissioners to approve.
“We’ve done resolutions before, and they haven’t done anything. I’ve heard that comment. This resolution will do something. … That proposed resolution will include three things,” Cox said.
Cox said:
“Number one, the resolution will state that the county approves of the contract between LCEC and Parkhill to proceed with the Taylor County Telecom Arena design.”
“Number two, LCEC will pay for the design itself.”
“Number three, the resolution would affirm basically the North University location.”
“We’re going to know whether the county wants to proceed or not by the end of this resolution process,” Cox said.
“Affirming” the North University location is important because the city invited the county to consider putting the Expo Center at the Civic Center site in downtown, which LubbockLights.com covered here.
A development agreement between the county and LCEC needs to be updated to reflect what’s allowed under state law – in particular the use of hotel occupancy tax for operations, Cox said.
She informed LGC the deeds for donated land have gone past their five-year revocation date – meaning the county had a five-year deadline to use the land for an event venue.
“We need to update the deed and make sure that that’s correct,” Cox said.
The idea would extend the deeds another five years.
And the LGC needs to coordinate with county commissioners on the timing of taking on $30 million or more in debt in the form of bonds.
An exact timeline is hard to pin down, but some of this can start in January. It might take months to both hammer out a contract and customize the Taylor Telecom Arena design for Lubbock. Construction might take 18 months.
LGC member Gary Boren asked if 2028 would be the “bingo date” if everything goes well. The consensus was yes.
Cox’s written presentation on December 10
ACTION ITEMS:
January LGC Meeting – Civil and LCEC will answer any questions and provide the follow up information requested today, review the draft of the Resolution and the Parkhill contract, vote on whether or not you recommend approval of the Resolution by the Court.
Commissioners Court Meeting 1 (both LCEC and LGC present)
Discuss and take action on proposed Resolution, which will include
Approval of the contract between LCEC and Parkhill to proceed with the Taylor County Telecom Arena design
LCEC will pay $375,000 for the design
Affirm the North University Location (the deed?)
Commissioners Court Meeting 2 (both LCEC and LGC present)
Design and program and preliminary development budget
Draft of the Guaranteed Maximum Price Construction Agreement
Satisfy the Court that LCEC has raised, or will be able to raise, the additional funds needed to develop and construct the Expo Center – request Court take Bond action
All subject to approval by the Court
Commissioners Court Meeting 3 (both LCEC and LGC present)
The Court will consider the Bond Order for approval
If approved, then the Court can approve the execution of the final construction agreement for the design and program, the final development budget, and the final Guaranteed Maximum Price Construction Agreement
Document distributed by Ashley Cox at LGC meeting.
December 4, 2025
Expo Center’s future makes two pit stops this month – both in front of county oversight board
December 2, 2025
November 17, 2025
County oversight board withholds blessing for expo center, wanting more answers on financial issues
November 14, 2025
October 20, 2025
Future of Civic Center, Expo Center on line in City Council, Commissioners Court meetings
October 14, 2025
New law soon lets Lubbock raise money for Civic Center project
August 7, 2025
March 7, 2025
February 21, 2025
‘We have a plan’ – ‘very comforting’
Mike Dalby, commissioner for Precinct 1, said, “Everyone in this room is tired. Yes, everyone in this room is frustrated. All sides. And I can see it. I’m looking at everybody’s facial expressions. I’m looking at the body language. But more importantly, the citizens are tired.”
“I want this project to succeed. I’ve said it from day one, and I’m saying it right now. I want this project to succeed, but I want it to be right. I want it to be legal. I don’t want Lubbock County to be at risk,” Dalby said.
“This will be a historical moment in Lubbock County,” he added.
Boren responded to Cox using the word “critics” several times in presentation.
“I don’t think necessarily it’s a critic. We’re just trying to carry on our roles,” Boren said.
LGC member Carl Isett said, “Every now and then the critic likes the movie. So, it is not a bad exercise to have people very critical of the process.”
“The problem that we’ve had in this is, is that not all of us have the same information. … The finance committee – you guys have but we haven’t seen – the rest of the group haven’t seen it. I’m tired of that. I’m just plain tired,” Isett said.
Chairman Gary Greenstreet disagreed, specifically referencing a term sheet for a proposed bank loan to LCEC.
“There’s not a soul on the, at least on the [LGC] executive committee, that has seen that,” Greenstreet said.
Cox asked LGC members in a December 3 meeting to not be worried about the term sheet yet because it needed revision.
Cox also responded to Isett’s concern.
“Those problems are over. We are going to make sure that you have the information available to you,” Cox said.
The procure will be for questions to be sent to her so answers can be distributed back to all LGC board members. Everyone will have the same information, she said.
LGC’s decisions will be informed and educated, Cox said.
“There is some confidential information related to donors and agreements,” Cox said.
The county will respect confidentiality. But at the same time the county needs assurance that between the bond, the donations and the other revenue streams, there’s enough money, she said.
Commissioners Jordan Rackler and Cary Shaw thanked Cox.
Rackler said, “I want to thank you for taking the reins on this and finally getting us to where we’re moving somewhere here.”
LGC member Dwight McDonald said, “Thank you for your leadership getting us back on track here. We have a plan. That is very comforting. And now that everybody knows what the plan is we can move forward.”
Greenstreet concluded the LGC meeting with the words, “Ashley, I can’t thank you enough.”
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