West Texas Explorer: Why is ‘In Town Inn’ of Lubbock Abandoned

I was driving to the Oddities Market with my friend when he wanted to show me this really beautiful, but abandoned, motel in downtown Lubbock and I just had to find out more. The Jim Kimmel Center, better known as the In Town Inn, was a luxurious motor inn motel that opened back in 1964 and was thought of in 1961 by the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. This motel was actually meant to serve as a space for business travelers to rest but also hold meetings, conferences, and also banquets.

Why Did This Motel Fall?

Well blame it on the 1970's tornado and the development of large suburban developments that started transforming the city of Lubbock as a whole. Many of the In Town Inn's rooms are still locked in time, somewhat, as you can peek in through the glass and see what once was a beautiful historic part of Lubbock. After some time, just like a lot of downtown Lubbock, it was forgotten and became a capsule of what once was. I did peek from the glass window to see curtains from the 70's as well as most of the tiles in the building being beautifully vintage along with random trash and oddly enough a calendar from 2021.

And Now?

Well the In Town Inn is just a shadow of its former glory and sits as an empty abandoned place but still has a sense of majesty surrounding it. This motel was inquired about in 2021 by developers seeking to purchase this historic motel and transform it into affordable housing lofts. In 2021 a nine percent tax credit to turn this abandoned motel into the Inn Town Lofts was unanimously supported by the City Council in hopes of revitalizing the area.

Since that tax break request was granted there have been no signs that any renovations are set to take place soon, but we did reach out to who we believe will be taking on the development project and they have yet to reach out to us. We will keep you updated on any information that becomes available that could bring more life to downtown Lubbock.

Explore and Discover

Know of any other abandoned buildings in or around the Lubbock area and want to know more about them? Let us know in the comments and we will trek through the information and explore whatever past and future it holds as West Texas Explorers.