Hopes for a November election related to Civic Center improvements are likely on hold – more realistic next year as city officials sharpen the project’s financial picture.
The City Council took no official action last week during a budget workshop, but the consensus seemed to be an election in March or November 2027 would be better for increasing Lubbock’s hotel occupancy tax (HOT) which is not the only funding source. But it’s an important one.
“We’re not going to be ready to go to a vote in November – just don’t see any way that we can be ready,” said Mark McBrayer, mayor.
Gordon Harris, councilman for District 2, said, “The question is why?”
McBrayer answered, “There’s still so much work we have to do to nail down costs and everything. And when you go to the voters, you need to be – I feel like – we need to be very clear with them about what we’re doing.”
Plans were updated in April after the public was allowed to voice a preference between two design plans. They were updated again just before the budget workshop.
McBrayer told the council, “I always wanted a November vote. But more important than anything, I want a vote that succeeds and that we’re ready for. So that means putting it off.”
Jarrett Atkinson, city manager, pointed out the deadline is coming up soon to call for a ballot issue in the November election, saying, “That decision has to be made the first meeting in August.”
Atkinson also said, “I think we would be running with somewhat low confidence numbers.”
He told the council there is a concept-level budget but, “We continue to try to develop the most accurate budget that we can get.”
“I don’t know that I’m where I can put a number out. … My fear is whatever number you put out suddenly became ‘the number,’” Atkinson said.
Atkinson compared the process to asking Lubbock voters to approve a road bond. It does not go to voters until certain things are nailed down.
“When the council takes a street bond out, we can tell you exactly what road we’re going to work on – the road it’s going to be. It’s three lanes. It’s five lanes. It’s drainage. We have all that and a unique cost per segment,” Atkinson said.
That’s not to say the city stopped moving forward.
In the last legislative session, Texas authorized Lubbock to create a project financing zone (PFZ). Atkinson said it allows Lubbock to keep new growth on hotel taxes within a 3-mile radius of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.
Money that would otherwise go to Austin, instead stays in Lubbock.
“I recommend that we trigger the PFZ in August of 2026, so next month,” Atkinson told the City Council.
That puts Lubbock on a 5-year deadline to initiate the project. Atkinson said that’s plenty of time and does not make the city “nervous.”
How much is the PFZ worth? The official estimate from the Texas Comptroller is $121.7 million between now and 2055.
The funding sources would be:
- Project Financing Zone (PFZ)
- Dedicating a portion of the existing HOT
- A new venue tax (which is an increase in the HOT)
- Private contributions
Atkinson emphasized none of the money will come from local property taxes.
He said Lubbock’s delegation to the State Legislature went to great lengths to help Lubbock. He mentioned Representative (and House Speaker) Dustin Burrows, Representative Carl Tepper and State Senator Charles Perry by name.
“We need to show them that we’re moving forward with the project,” Atkinson said.
The renovation and expansion of the Civic Center would include a new 60,000 square foot space. An existing area would then be converted to a 40,000 square foot space for events. The south end would be reworked as the “front” to invite business development including a new hotel across the street from the Civic Center.
McBrayer estimated breaking ground on construction in mid-2028 or early 2029.
Atkinson said, “I think your fast track would be breaking ground late in the first quarter of ‘28.”
Tim Collins, councilman for District 6, said, “I think we can we can share our desires to improve downtown and continue that redevelopment and to make this a very attractive place.”
But to convince voters, he thought the city might create a “community benefit analysis.”
Collins also thought it’s important to offer voters a pro-forma – which is a financial forecast of the facility’s revenue and operating costs.
“This is what the benefits that are going to occur – not only in the city’s budget, but also to the community as a whole,” Collins said.
“We need to be able to have some numbers to back that up,” he said.
