The Brownwood City Council met Tuesday morning and authorized city management to seek bids for Phase I of the City’s new multipurpose event center project.

The proposed multipurpose event center will be divided into two phases. Phase I of the project will include an outdoor stage/pavilion, meeting rooms, and a large festival ground that can be used for a variety of events.  Plans for Phase II of the project, which will include a banquet hall and additional meeting rooms, are expected to be complete by the end of this year with construction to begin in early 2022.

“We have for worked several years developing the concept and plans for our new event center, and we are excited to begin seeking bids for this new project,” said Brownwood Mayor Stephen Haynes.  “Once complete, we believe it will have a significant, positive economic impact on our community.”

KOXE Photo – Shows the old Ice House location on Lee Street, just south of the health department office and across from the KOXE back parking lot.

The site of the former Ice House building on Lee Street, which was demolished last year, will be the main focus of the construction project, functioning as a stage and pavilion for large events, small gatherings, and concerts.  The area can also serve as spill-over outdoor space for the larger event center.  An enclosed structure will be built adjacent to the stage to contain support space, meeting rooms, and outdoor public restrooms.

The site surrounding the Ice House will be divided into the large viewing lawn/festival ground stretching east (currently an RV Park) and a small viewing lawn to the south. The large viewing lawn will be fenced and will be available as a festival ground for a variety of outdoor events. The lawn area will also accommodate food truck and vendor hookups. Parking will be developed in surrounding City-owned property along with new property acquisition for expanded parking.

City officials state the goal of this project is to create a new rentable multipurpose event space with indoor and outdoor components to help facilitate events and conventions that will create a positive economic impact on the local economy and business growth, while complimenting downtown revitalization efforts.

For continued updates regarding this project visit www.brownwoodtexas.gov/eventcenter.