Amarillo voters made history on May 2, 1964 when the $5.5 million Amarillo Civic Center Complex (ACCC) was approved at the ballot box- the first modern-style arena in Amarillo. This ambitious vote helped put Amarillo on the entertainment map for 50+ years, and the massive economic impact of the ACCC has benefited Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle in countless ways for more than half a century.

However, after over 50 years, the ACCC is severely showing it's age. The facilities are considered generally obsolete for the needs of the city and the customers who would rent space at the ACCC. Just the low height of the coliseum alone (only 38 feet) prevents any large tours from being able to perform here. Couple that with an arena that is too small, inadequiate supprot facilities like dressing rooms, catering, locker rooms, etc, and loading zone conflicts, well it is easy to see why a drastic change needs to take place.

Credit: ConversationCivicCenter.com
Credit: ConversationCivicCenter.com
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From the website ConversationCivicCenter.com, here is the details on the how the new facilitly would take shape and what upgrades it would include:

On the ballot in May 2020, will be up to a $279 million bond that will create a new, modern and state-of-the-art ACCC that meets the demands of a changing and evolving entertainment market. The total project cost is $319 million. The proposed project will include renovation and expansion of the civic center, including the addition of a 75,000 sq ft exhibit hall, the addition of a new 10,100 seat arena, renovation of the historic Santa Fe Depot, creation of a large central plaza (park), and relocation of City Hall with an additional parking structure.

 

The new ACCC will feature natural lighting, and the large lobby area will have space for a food court, Internet café, exhibit areas, etc. The new iconic arena will be clearly visible around the downtown area. The new ACCC will include an outdoor plaza with native landscaping and seating areas. The outdoor central plaza will provide a hub for other downtown features such as Hodgetown and the Embassy Suites.

 

The most important part of the new ACCC is what is inside. The new ACCC arena will seat a maximum of 10,100 people. Inside, the arena will have a steel height of 60’+. These two primary, modern features will greatly increase Amarillo’s chances of landing major shows and entertainers. The ACCC will also have a new 75,000 square-foot exhibit hall and expanded 30,000 square-foot ballroom. There will be modern dressing/locker rooms and modern concession/restroom facilities.

 

With the additional space to run multiple events, the Amarillo Civic Center Complex will become a hub for youth sports, attracting tournaments from the entire Southwest region and beyond! The new space will potentially accommodate up to 20 volleyball or 10 basketball courts. The current youth hockey, wrestling and tumbling/trampoline tournaments can grow by 2 - 3 times.

Credit: ConversationCivicCenter.com
Credit: ConversationCivicCenter.com
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There will be 4 public meetings held in the Civic Center Hospitality Room to get input on the current concept and the cost of taking on such a project:

  • September 14th at 8:30 a.m.
  • September 19th at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
  • September 21st at 8:30 a.m.

It is estimated that if the bond passes in May, it would increase property taxes by $12.57 per month for a home with $100,000 taxable value.

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