$6M grant from Moody Foundation narrows fundraising deficit for Lubbock County Expo Center
A major grant announced Tuesday brings the Lubbock County Expo Center millions of dollars closer to reaching its fundraising goal.
The Moody Foundation will provide $6 million for the Expo Center to will fund the construction of a multipurpose arena and warm-up arena canopy, the foundation revealed in a news release Tuesday morning. In recognition of the grant, the arena will be called Moody Arena.
“The Moody Foundation and its trustees — Francie Moody-Dahlberg, Elle Moody, and I — have a special relationship with the city and surrounding areas of Lubbock. The Lubbock County Expo Center marks an exciting era for West Texas, providing fans and citizens a world-class experience in entertainment and rodeo,” foundation Trustee Ross Moody said in the release. “We couldn’t be happier to support LCEC in this transformative gift to benefit future generations of Texans.”
The grant narrows LCEC's fundraising deficit to $9 million, the venue's board said. The project has been in the works for upwards of 5 years with principal construction yet to begin.
“There simply are no words to express our gratitude to the great people of the Moody Foundation,” Chairman Randy Jordan said. “Every project has had challenges in recent years and the Expo Center has been no exception. But our multiple founding donors and sponsors, including the Moody Foundation, are putting us much closer to the finish line. Timing always is in God’s hands, and we are truly blessed.”
Lubbock County voters overwhelmingly supported a proposal to build a large exposition center in the county in 2018, approving an increase to the county's hotel/motel and short-term rental car taxes. Since then, the steering committee for the private side of the public-private partnership has been working to raise more than half of the required funding for the $87 million project.
More: 'Still work to do': 5 years later, Lubbock County Expo Center needs millions for project
Jordan previously told local media the architectural and construction plans for the facility are already completed, but construction on the 500,000-square-foot center at North Loop 289 and University Avenue will not begin until the committee is confident they have the funding to complete it.
At least three businesses — Capital Farm Credit, Great Plains Distributors and Terry County Tractor — have made significant contributions to the Expo Center so far, though the committee has not released the details of those sponsorship deals. The Helen Jones Foundation committed $10 million to the project in 2022.
“Once completed, this grand venue will provide not only great entertainment and educational opportunities, but also a tremendous economic boost through job creation and increased tourism, retail, restaurant and hotel business,” Jordan said.
“After early discussions with the LCEC team, the Moody Foundation was excited to help bring this ambitious vision to life. This is about more than entertainment — the LCEC venue and Moody Arena will be a transformative space for the Lubbock community and entire region to come together,” Elle Moody added. “We hope the Foundation’s gift inspires others to join us in support of this much-needed venue.”
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: $6M grant narrows fundraising deficit for Lubbock County Expo Center
