Things Aren’t Looking Good For The Lubbock County Expo Center

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That sure is a nice picture up above of the proposed Lubbock County Expo Center. I'd love to take an actual picture of the construction of the building, but I can't because there is no building despite all plans originally pointing to 2022 as the big grand opening.

In 2018, voters in Lubbock County voted for the picture above, a Lubbock County Expo Center. Missing were details like total cost, design, etc., but voters approved the plan with an overwhelming 65% of the vote.

It's now 2021 and dirt still isn't moving and we don't know the final cost of the building or how much has been raised by the steering committee behind the building. In February, it was reported by KAMC that the project wouldn't open until April of 2023 with a price tag $50 million dollars. But there still hasn't been any firm amount given on how much money will come from the hotel/motel tax and how much will have to be raised privately.

Obviously the COVID-19 pandemic hurt fundraising plans and the timeline to open the building and the fact that building supplies are skyrocketing in price can't help either. So what is the future for the Lubbock County Expo Center? I think we are at the point now of seriously asking if this project will ever get built.

According to a report from KCBD on Thursday, the construction of the Lubbock County Expo Center is delayed "indefinitely". Randy Jordan, Chairman of the steering committee cited economic factors and the pandemic as reasons why there is now no timeline for the Lubbock County Expo Center. The cost of the project is now being mentioned at $60 million dollars, but there has been no mention of how much money has been raised and is in the bank for the Expo Center.

The folks behind the Lubbock County Expo Center are glad to see travel picking back up, but it sound like they have a long ways to go before dirt begins to move. If it ever does move.