Wondering how Lubbock businesses are doing halfway through 2025? Here’s what you need to know.
Lubbock city and county leaders are reviewing a new report that could reshape downtown’s skyline — and its economy.
In October 2025, Lubbock leaders received a report from Conventions, Sports & Leisure International (CSL) that lays out two major options for improving or replacing the aging Lubbock Memorial Civic Center and potentially adding a new arena.
This comes after earlier in the year, both the City of Lubbock and Lubbock County pitched to fund a $90,000 feasibility study to explore combining the Lubbock County Expo Center construction with the Civic Center’s renovations.
With the potential of having an over $30 million impact on the local economy and hundreds of jobs on the line, here’s a breakdown of the 200-page report and what options sit on the leaders’ desks.
Current state of the Lubbock Tourism economy
The study in this section can be broken down into three sections: the local market analysis, the current operations of the Civic Center and the current venue outlook across the state.
Lubbock’s market analysis
According to the CSL report, there are 76 hotel properties in Lubbock totaling nearly 7,000 sleeping rooms.
However, focusing within a half a mile from the Civic Center, there are two “upscale” hotels — Cotton Court Hotel and the DoubleTree by Hilton Lubbock University Area — and 34 restaurants.
Also, within that half-mile analysis, there are four identified attractions — Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center Art Gallery, The Brewery LBK and the Lubbock Tornado Memorial.
Additionally, when looking at other venues in Lubbock that would compete with the project, there are:
* Three event venues in Lubbock with at least 10,000 contiguous square feet of sellable space.
* 10 concert venues that accommodate audiences from 200 to 2,500.
* Three concert venues with capacities above 10,000.
How does the Lubbock Civic Center operate?
According to the CSL report, the Civic Center operates at an annual net deficit on a purely operational basis, with losses ranging from $2.5 million to $2.8 million between in FY 2022-23 and FY 2025-26.
This, in part, is contributed by non-revenue generating events — like banquets and community gatherings — accounting for a significant share of usage, making up 38% of all events and 65% of meetings from 2018-2019 & 2022-2024, while only accounting for 6% of attendance during this period.
Finally, the report says the current limiting factors of the Civic Center are limited event space, hotel rooms and date availability conflicts. However, the facility currently has an estimated total economic output of $20.8 million, supports about 286 jobs, and produces $1.5 million in tax revenue.
But the options on the table would significantly increase those stats.
Current venue outlook across Texas
The report identified 51 venues across Texas and parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico that currently compete with the Civic Center.
When it comes down to comparing the Civic Center to the others in the largest contiguous space and total sellable space categories, Lubbock ranks 15th and 28th, respectively.
“These data highlight the high concentration of event facilities within the state of Texas,” reads the report. “Potential improvements to/expansion of the (Civic Center) should closely consider opportunities to differentiate within this highly competitive event venue market.”
However, the report identified that most of the comparable Texas concert venues to the proposed options are situated near major metros, leaving West Texas underserved.
When it comes to competitive arenas, most are located in Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston, with the closest one to Lubbock being the Mallet Event Center & Arena in Levelland.
Option 1: City of Lubbock, Lubbock County combine forces
The first option is combining the Civic Center’s facelift with Lubbock County’s Expo Center project. According to the report, that would increase annual economic output to $32.8 million, support 443 jobs, and generate nearly $2.3 million in tax revenue
“The combined Civic Center expansion and multipurpose event facility would represent a more cost-efficient path forward, requiring a lower total capital investment while maximizing shared infrastructure and management resources,” reads the report.
However, there is a trade-off — combining the two into one would slightly decrease the annual event volume and room night generation than if they were separate.
What would the project include?
In short, it would create the following facilities:
* A 60,000-square-foot multipurpose event center east of the existing Civic Center.
* The facility would be connected to the Civic Center by:
* Additional elements include:
This project could also create a new downtown district that would be located next to the art and culture district utilized by the First Friday Art Trail.
Creation of the downtown convention district
According to the report, with the added foot traffic and overnight visitation anticipated under either development options, “downtown Lubbock is well-positioned to attract new visitor-oriented investment.”
This means that the projects could be the key to revamping and creating a new downtown district — drawing in new businesses and various types of restaurants.
The report also recommends that the City of Lubbock could invest in placemaking elements such as art installations, outdoor gathering spaces and pedestrian improvements that strengthen connectivity and extend activity throughout the day and evening.
“Achieving this vision will require collaboration among experts in urban design, real estate, funding and implementation to create a vibrant and transformative downtown district,” reads the report.
Option 2: City of Lubbock, Lubbock County keep projects separate
Option 2 would keep the status quo. The Civic Center gets a much-needed remodel and the Expo Center stays where it was originally planned along University Avenue and North Loop 289.
The separate projects would generate more than $37.2 million in annual spending, support just over 500 jobs, and yield nearly $2.6 million in yearly tax revenue.
“This higher impact reflects additional arena-driven activity such as livestock events, rodeos and touring productions,” read the report.
However, Option 2 would result in a higher total development cost and a larger deficit in the net financial operations.
What would the project include?
Here is a brief look at what each of the separate projects would feature:
Civic Center
* Add a 20,000-square-foot ballroom that is contiguous with the existing exhibit hall.
* New meeting rooms.
* New outdoor space.
* A “headquarters” hotel.
Expo Center
* A 4,500- to 5,000-seat arena for sports, entertainment and/or rodeo and livestock events.
This project has a lot of options and recommendations for both city and county leaders can consider.
Proposed upgrades around the Civic Center
The creation of the new downtown convention center would also happen under this project, as it does in Option 1.
However, the remodel of the Civic Center proposed by the CSL includes refreshing the interior finishes, lighting, furnishings and technology, as well as enhancing wayfinding, digital displays and flexible meeting environments.
This project and Option 1 would also give the city a chance to redefine the building’s exterior identity rather than keeping the 1970s architecture.
Different types of venues for the county Expo Center
Since Lubbock County would be solely responsible for the Expo Center project, there are two types of venues they could curate — a multipurpose area or a rodeo/expo area.
If developed as a multipurpose area, the venue could attract a broad range of uses, including concerts, family shows, university and community events, and potential minor league or semi-professional sports.
“With approximately 4,500 fixed seats, 120 private suite seats, 80 loge box seats, and 400 club seats, this facility would provide Lubbock with a high-quality, flexible event venue capable of supporting year-round entertainment programming and strong corporate hospitality offerings,” reads the report.
If developed as a rodeo/expo arena, the facility could attract regional rodeos, livestock exhibitions and “western lifestyle events” while retaining some flexibility to host a limited number of concerts, family shows and amateur sporting events.
What is the final recommendation?
Taking everything into account, CSL recommends the combined project — Option 1.
“While a new arena at the North University site could serve as a community asset and diversify the region’s event offerings, the City of Lubbock should weigh its development carefully against the more integrated downtown scenario, which offers stronger economic synergy and district activation potential,” reads the report.
How much would the projects cost?
The plan does not explicitly say how much either option would cost. However, the projects developed in the report assume a 2028 opening.
Mateo Rosiles is the Government & Public Policy reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Got a news tip for him? Email him: [email protected].
Read more on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
