The Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association has raised more than half of the needed funding for the Buddy Holly Hall for Performing Arts and Sciences, a venue designed to house operas, Broadway plays and the symphony and enhance the arts opportunities in Lubbock and the South Plains.

At a reception Thursday night, Tim Collins, chairman of the LEPAA board of directors, announced the committee has raised $81 million raised of the $146 million budget, which will be fully funded through private donations. Additionally, several major donors were honored, including V-Tech Environmental Services, The Underwood Law Firm, SouthWest Bank, City Bank, Lubbock Chamber of Commerce and First Financial Trust. Attendees also viewed new design rendering and a new scale model of the building, as well as a video explaining the hall’s features.

“Buddy Holly Hall will be a beacon for progress and downtown revitalization for Lubbock and the South Plains,” Collins said. “The venue is a hub that brings together people of all ages to experience world-class art in a world-class facility.”

In addition to the spaces that are suitable for plays, ballets, large-scale musical productions, one-act plays and smaller performances, Buddy Holly Hall will offer state-of-the-art acoustics, with an acoustical value of NC 15 in both the large and small theaters. The acoustical design company, Connecticut-based Jaffe Holden, worked with the architects to create a sound experience that works for a variety of performances, taking into account ceiling height, wall thickness, the seat fabric and ambient noise from lighting and air conditioning. Acoustics expert Mark Holden called the acoustics in a multipurpose performing arts center such as Buddy Holly Hall one of the most complex design challenges in the industry.

At the event Thursday, LEPAA also recognized the many partners of the initiative, including Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University System. System Chancellor Robert Duncan congratulated LEPAA on its success and shared the system’s and university’s support.

“The Buddy Holly Hall for Performing Arts and Sciences is an exciting initiative that will not only benefit our community, but it also will provide more opportunities for higher education,” Duncan said. “At the Texas Tech University System, we too have a vision for strengthening the arts in Lubbock, this state and our nation, and are proud to collaborate with LEPAA in this important effort. The College of Visual & Performing Arts at Texas Tech University has been a driving force in our community and beyond for generations, and we look forward to future endeavors together in enhancing the arts and our academic and research programs for our talented students, faculty and alumni.”

The partnership will bolster efforts to increase arts in the community and provide additional space for performances and possibilities for teaching, research and community outreach. Additionally, the high-class venue will be an excellent recruiting tool for top students, faculty and others considering working in the city of Lubbock.

People interested in donating have several opportunities to do so. A preferred seating plan is available, donors can buy a guitar pick on a wall honoring Lubbock musicians and select naming rights and one luxury box remain available. Those interested in additional information can contact Michelle Stephens or Rob Allison at (806) 747-3200 or visit lepaa.org.

It is part of the growing downtown arts district and will include a 2,200-seat main theater, a 400-seat community theater, a divisible multi-purpose room and a 22,000-square-feet dance center. Buddy Holly Hall was designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, Inc. (DSAI) in partnership with Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, Inc. and MWM Architects, Inc.

DSAI has designed and built many acclaimed concert halls, opera houses and theaters worldwide, including the New Mariinsky Opera House in St. Petersburg, Russia; La Maison Symphonique in Montreal; the Harman Center in Washington, D.C.; and the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. DSAI also recently won an international design competition to reimagine Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in New York City.

The development team for the project is led by developer Garfield Public/Private LLC and includes Lee Lewis Construction, Inc.; theater consultant Schuler Shook, Inc.; and acoustical, A/V, and IT infrastructure consultant Jaffe Holden; among many other leading industry specialists.

(Press release from LEPAA)