Here’s What Is Really Going On With Development Around The Airport

I recently wrote an article about the drive in to town from the Lubbock Airport.  My point was pretty simple-we have a nice looking city, but the first thing visitors see is some very rough and/or unattractive areas.  I'm not complaining about the "West Texas Landscape" either, but the lack of care for what we do have.   I'm certainly not the first to suggest that this area could be a little more inviting and fortunately there are some who are working towards it.

I received this note from John McAnally. I am publishing it pretty much intact, other than a sentence or two that referenced another media source.

The I-27 / Regis corridor is part of District 1 City Councilman Victor Hernandez's area. In fairness to him he has attempted to address the issue over the past few years in one way or the other, but it has been pretty limited. It's my understanding that the underlying issue in getting this gateway corridor cleaned up and updated is funding and/or investments.

As a participant in the Imagine Lubbock Together effort, my citizen input group at one of the final sessions held at the Civic Center was tasked with this very spot. What to do with it? We stressed the importance of getting this area addressed ASAP because it is one of, if not, the main gateways to our city and is an embarrassment.   We submitted various recommendations and ideas on what should be done with the I-27 & Regis intersection and off/on ramps in addition to the Regis corridor over to the MLK intersection (The airport entrance).

So, the effort and ideas are there, it's just a matter of money and action. And the lack of it over the years has frustrated me to no end. Clearly I am not the only one. (NOTE: The following link is an overview of this effort. There is a picture of me on 'Slide 2' when I made our group presentation about the I-27 & Regis corridor. I am the guy in the blue & white jacket holding the microphone)

In contrast, I recently flew out of Albuquerque and was very impressed with the entrance / exit at their airport. It's well designed and landscaped. It clearly put into perspective just how bad ours really is and how the lack of attention is frankly unacceptable.

Now that Love's Travel Centers is building at I-27 & Regis I hope that this is the catalyst we need to see other development along the Regis corridor. But the fact remains that Regis itself still needs work such as pavement repair, median repair, curbing, landscaping and street lighting. These basic items are something that Victor and the city should have already addressed but it hasn't happened. And it's unacceptable. 

In addition to the new Love's, a new Cobblestone Inn & Suites is supposed to be built on the west side of the airport near the Silent Wings Museum. The developer told the city council during his presentation that he also hopes to build a strip shopping center next to it that would house other retail such as restaurants and a dry cleaners. The type of businesses that travelers and residents along I-27 would benefit. The last I heard the hotel is supposed to be built and opened before the fall of 2015.

Also, I recently inquired about the mess at 'I-27 Recyclers' which sits on the west side I-27 across from the airport. You can't miss it when you're coming in from Amarillo or Plainview. It's awful. By court order they were supposed to have all of that mess cleaned up, but it hasn't happened. I suggested this issue as a story to Sydney Ryan at FOX 34 and she did a follow up story on it. Here is the link to it.

So, this is what I know and I wanted to share it with you. Being that you are in the media you certainly have the capacity to drive this issue and I encourage you to do so. Someone or something needs to get the ball rolling so we can finally get this area addressed.

And finally, Kelly Campbell (Executive Director of LIA) recently told me that they have an airport terminal building remodel plan in place. She said they plan to start making improvements to the terminal upon completion of the refurbishment job currently underway on the main north / south runway. So, that's good news. She told me that anyone can come by their offices out at the airport and look at the plans. Something I haven't had the chance to do myself as of yet.

So there you have it. There are at least attempts to work on this area of town.  It's great that private development is taking a big lead out there too.  Let's just remember that when the city has funds available for improvements in the Hub, that this area should be considered a priority.

I'd like to thank Mr. McAnally for both serving on the citizens committee and taking the time to write.