LUBBOCK, Texas –  It’s been a year since the city approved of plans for a park at 1301 Broadway Street with updates underway into the spring.

“The council did approve a contract to demolish the existing structures at the site where the park will be,” said Brianna Gerardi, Business Development Director for the City of Lubbock. “That was on April 12 and so we anticipate demolition will start maybe mid to late May.”

The city has been working towards clearing out the inside of the old Lubbock Power & Light building before demolition. They have also been working towards fundraising with a citizen’s committee to oversee that function. 

“The downtown TIF board has appointed a committee for fundraising for the park and for oversight of the park, which will, in other words, be involved in the construction of the park when it’s built,” said mayor Dan Pope.

The city has completed the design phase of the project which included input from the community, bringing in a lot of features that take kids into consideration.

“Most people wanted there to be an interactive water feature of some kind and so that will be one of the cornerstones of the park,” said Gerardi, “On the other side, on the northeast corner, we have an area designated for public art and so that’ll be a really important opportunity for us to showcase some of our local artists.”

The park will embrace Lubbock’s local art scene whether that is through art displays or use of a planned stage.

“We have not decided what that’s going to look like yet but definitely look forward to involving our local arts community in that design,” Gerardi said. “And then we will also have a stage with not amphitheater seating, but with a little bit of topography.”

The civic park is well underway to include all of the features citizens have asked for in the heart of Lubbock. 

“We’re excited to bring this opportunity to the city of Lubbock. It’s going to be a great community gathering space for all ages,” Gerardi said. “There’s really something for everyone at the park.”

The city anticipates breaking ground early 2023 with a ribbon cutting in the summer of 2024.