The Lubbock City Council was expected to address a resolution that would allow Texas Tech University to lease the City Bank Coliseum while construction is completed in the athletic department.
The old athletic training center, called “The Bubble,” was demolished earlier this year, to make room for a new sports performance center.
“We have been working ever since we moved out of the athletic training center to find places for our student athletes to continue to train and develop while we are in the process of building the sports performance center,” said Chad Weiberg, Deputy Director of Athletics for Texas Tech.
Weiberg said the location of the coliseum made it a logical option.
“It is important for our student-athletes to have a place to continue to train and develop,” Weiberg said.
“There’s obviously a gap in facilities while that construction takes place,” he added.
“They need space and we have space available,” said city council member Jeff Griffith.
“The resolution is an agreement, basically a lease agreement between the City of Lubbock and Texas Tech University for use of the coliseum,” he explained.
“We’re just happy that maybe we can be of service and let them utilize this while they’re under construction,” Griffith said.
Griffith said he hoped additional details, including the cost of the lease, would be ironed out by the time the meeting starts Thursday evening.
The city-owned coliseum was built in the 1950s. Griffith said Tech used to occasionally utilize the facility, until the United Spirit Arena (now the United Supermarkets Arena) was built.
The temporary lease would likely be active through the opening of the sports performance center, which has a scheduled completion date of August, 2017, Weiberg said.
“It’s important that the City of Lubbock be a very good partner to Texas Tech University,” said Griffith.
The resolution, recommended by Griffith, reads as follows:
Consider a resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor to execute a license agreement by and between Texas Tech University and the City of Lubbock for use of the City Bank Coliseum.
