Canyon Old Lumber Yard comes to life with new identity as event center

Nell Williams
·4 min read
2

Canyon entrepreneur and creator of Feldman’s Wrong Way Diner, Danny Byrd, was just talking to the owner of the Old Lumber Yard (formerly Taylor’s Lumber) that sits on the east side of I-27, entering into Canyon, when he mentioned he might like to sell the 45-acre area.

Byrd took him up on it. Then, he said, “now what do I do with it?”

Byrd, who formerly owned Bourbon Street Café in Amarillo, purchased the land from Wilford Taylor last year around this time. Byrd said that he had been toying with the idea of having an outdoor/indoor event center for a while: “I used to have live music at Bourbon Street and wanted that to come back.”

The old stucco barn that once housed lumber for the Taylor Lumber Yard has been renovated into an event venue, which can be rented by the public.
The old stucco barn that once housed lumber for the Taylor Lumber Yard has been renovated into an event venue, which can be rented by the public.

Two of the original buildings have been put to good use, the Quonset Barn and the old Stucco building behind it. “We are going to connect the two and have a banquet facility that can seat around 275 people," Byrd said. The Quonset Hut now hosts a large Texas Star, and the area is 10,000 square feet. It can serve as a banquet area and includes a restaurant and bar in there with an area for live music during bad weather.

The Quonset Hut is getting a makeover at the Old Lumber Yard in Canyon. After sitting vacant for decades, the old buildings that served the community have been brought back into action as a new event center, which can handle many different events.
The Quonset Hut is getting a makeover at the Old Lumber Yard in Canyon. After sitting vacant for decades, the old buildings that served the community have been brought back into action as a new event center, which can handle many different events.

There will also be a 26,000-square-foot outside patio with a stage outside. In fact, the first concert in the huge outdoor stage area will be taking place Saturday, May 18 with the Josh Abbott Band. Gates will open at 6 p.m., and the show will begin at 7 p.m. The country band originated in Lubbock and is known for such hits as “My Dad and His Truck,” and “Country Nights,” among others.

The venue's crew did it in phases. “After we get the restaurant up and going, we’re going to use the large patio on the hill for a big concert venue that can hold 10,000 to 15,000 people. The big stage, fenced in will bring in some good concerts here in Canyon, being kicked off by the Josh Abbott Band on May 18. With the space that we have, we could use the front 16 acres as a place we could bring in conventions,” Byrd said. "The back 30 acres could be an RV Park or a pavilion. We want to make a space for the city of Canyon. They have been great to work with. It will benefit Canyon with a venue and also supply tax sales revenue.”

The inside of the Quonset Hut, which is getting a makeover at the Old Lumber Yard in Canyon. After sitting vacant for decades, the old buildings that served the community have been brought back into action as a new event center, which can handle many different events.
The inside of the Quonset Hut, which is getting a makeover at the Old Lumber Yard in Canyon. After sitting vacant for decades, the old buildings that served the community have been brought back into action as a new event center, which can handle many different events.

Because the land was outside of the city of Canyon, it had to be annexed so that they could have electricity and water. The city of Canyon gladly approved, and the process continued.

There will be some landscaped areas for the patio which will be dog friendly, maybe even a dog park.

There is also a possibility of a driving range, “where you can come eat, have a beer and hit some golf balls,” he said. A grassy area will have VIP areas and room to roam around. Byrd said there were some old railroad cars out there they want to utilize. One was protected from the sun and says "Super Chief" on it.

The Old Lumber Yard red barn is being transformed into a rental area for parties, events and business activities after sitting vacant for years. The top area has many windows to bring in natural light.
The Old Lumber Yard red barn is being transformed into a rental area for parties, events and business activities after sitting vacant for years. The top area has many windows to bring in natural light.

The innovative entrepreneur also has plans to have what he called a “beer (wine) wall,” where a customer has a bracelet with a sensor, to tap into the beer he wants. They chose whatever adult beverage they want, from an ounce to more. The beer or wine charge is by the ounce and will be tabulated and also watched by the mechanism to limit the amount of alcohol a person can consume for liabilities' sake.

Byrd wants to pay homage to the Taylor family (Jack and Buddy) who owned T&S Grocery store for many years in Canyon and other areas as well. They were a big part of the Canyon’s success and community.

There are several signs out on the property he plans to utilize. He likes calling it the “Lumber Yard.” In the '40s after the Depression and World War II, people were climbing out of poverty when the Taylors built up a huge area with homes free for those who wanted to work. The huge area, like a camp or company town, was full of houses and had a massive building that the highway took out when it came through. Wilford has an old photo of the area that shows the entire small city.

The old stucco building at the Lumber Yard in Canyon is now a bright red and can be rented for parties, events, business conventions and events. Owner Danny Byrd had a vision for the area, and it's coming true.
The old stucco building at the Lumber Yard in Canyon is now a bright red and can be rented for parties, events, business conventions and events. Owner Danny Byrd had a vision for the area, and it's coming true.

“We’ve been cleaning up and working on red Stucco Building, 3,900 square feet. It’s fantastic. It’s all great timber built back in the ‘40s," he said. "Windows go all the way across the top that were covered up and now let in the light. It will be a great banquet facility with drop-down screens, and all beams will be left exposed. It was filled with walk-in coolers, and once they were torn out, we realized how cool it was.”

Plans have been to use the red bulding as a rental area for events, parties and conventions by area folks.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Canyon Old Lumber Yard comes to life as new event center