We’ll know a lot more about the future of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center and the proposed Lubbock County Expo Center this week.
Competing ideas are on the table:
Lubbock County copies Abilene’s Taylor Telecom Arena for an expo center at North University Avenue and North Loop 289.
Or, the other idea puts a newly renovated Civic Center and brand-new Expo Center on the same property at the current Civic Center site.
About the Taylor Telecom Arena
“This crown jewel arena is used for barrel races, cutting events, cow horse and versatility shows and is the home of the West Texas Fair & Rodeo PRCA Rodeo and Western Heritage Classic Ranch Rodeo,” according to the arena’s website.
140 feet-by-350 feet building
125 feet-by-270 feet arena
5,603 permanent seats
“Taylor Telecom Arena is equipped with a large, flexible meeting room that can be separated into two separate rooms, two concessions stands, announcer stand, grand auditorium speakers, and a concourse that allows for 51 10’x10′ vendor spaces,” the event website said.
The arena was part of a bond election and package of projects.
“The Expo Center passed a $55 million bond election in 2016 to renovate the Coliseum, Midway, First Financial Pavilion, Taylor Telecom Arena and Guitar Arena. Renovations were complete in 2021,” the facility website said.
On Tuesday, the City Council and County Commissioners will both consider a feasibility study of Civic Center renovations alongside a new multipurpose venue (expo center) downtown. The city and county each paid about $45,000 (for a total of roughly $90,000) for the study.
LubbockLights.com broke the story in February a joint venture was under consideration by the city and county to combine renovations with new construction of a new expo center.
Randy Jordan, chairman of the Lubbock County Expo Center (LCEC) Board, was opposed to a joint venture at that time. He still is.
His preference is a separate expo center – with a slashed construction budget.
“Trust me, we’re going to bring this baby home,” said Jordan.
Jordan did not reveal the new cost estimate publicly and does not plan to until it goes to the Lubbock Government Corporation (LGC) board (which works with the LCEC board). LGC meets on Wednesday to consider the same study.
The expo center is funded by a combination of hotel tax and private donations. The donations have been tough, Jordan said, because the effort got began right when COVID hit.
“We’re the closest we’ve ever been. We’re moving forward with the final stages of our private funding. And we’re real close to being able to come to the table with a complete total package,” Jordan said.
County Judge Curtis Parrish left both options – downtown or at North University – on the table.
“I’m looking forward to hearing the complete feasibility study from the consultants. Lubbock County has many important decisions to make to see this project finally get off the ground,” Parrish said.
Then another group comes into play.
“Any decisions moving forward with the venue project will be made first with a recommendation from our citizens advisory group,” Parrish added.
That is the LGC.
Who are the LGC and LCEC?
The LGC is created under state law and can plan, manage and finance projects. The LCEC is a non-profit 501(c)3 group taking the lead in private fundraising and has participated extensively in the planning of a new expo center.
Commissioners formed the LGC in early 2021 after voters approved a hotel-occupancy tax in November 2018 to fund a new expo center.
Mayor says together is better
Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer said consistently since LubbockLights.com first broke the story that putting both a renewed civic center and new expo center together is the best idea.
“I know they can have a whole lot more to build it with if they build it downtown,” McBrayer said of the expo center.
Private fundraising is better downtown, he said, but also LubbockLights.com covered a new state law giving the city the right to create a “Project Finance Zone” allowing Lubbock to keep an estimated $120 million or more in tax revenue that would otherwise go to the state.
“We believe the cost savings, the efficiency of running the operation, will be much better if they’re located together because you don’t have to have two management teams for two totally separate properties miles and miles away from each other,” McBrayer said.
Jordan said an arena for the expo center is just phase one. The place would expand over time to include more facilities, but that cannot happen downtown.
“You can’t take something that was designed on an 80-acre tract and move it into a tract that’s eight acres. It just won’t work,” Jordan said.
McBrayer’s response was, “If it ends up, they build it out there, I’ll support that. … I just think it’s better downtown,” McBrayer said.
Despite the difference of opinion, Jordan said, “I applaud the city and I’m about downtown redevelopment 150 percent. I want to see it happen, and we need it to happen to make Lubbock to be full-blown city like what we need.”
Hotel in the study
While Parrish, Jordan and McBrayer did not reveal in advance what the study will say, it will likely address the issue of an attached hotel with the civic center – an idea both Jordan and McBrayer support.
Jordan said, “The city has been talking about the needs downtown in terms of renovation of the Civic Center – a lot of talk for many, many years about a five-star hotel.”
McBrayer said, “We consider it part and parcel of making the whole thing work. If people don’t stay overnight, it doesn’t really produce much of an economic benefit to the city.”
“When you have a convention or a trade show, and people come in for several days and they book your hotel and you stay there – and they eat and they shop and they do all that other – that’s when you begin to make money,” McBrayer added.
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