Page 14 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2020- Online Magazine
P. 14

A Man of Vision:


          ROB ALLISON








                                                              by Steve Moffett


             f you had a nickel for every     Hall).  Rob was Assistant City
             time Rob Allison said, “Well,    Manager of Development Services
         II’m just an old country boy         when we worked together on
          from West Texas but …”, you         the Overton Hotel and was the
          could retire and live happily ever   single most important factor in the
          after.  In truth, Rob IS an old     project being completed, gifting
          country boy from West Texas, as     Lubbock with the iconic hotel that
          he was born in Pecos on June 3,     it is today.  Rob believed in this
          1949.  However, he uses those       hotel project and was committed to   Hall and was well aware of the
          words more as a badge of honor      it from its initial planning in 2003   impact it could have on the City
          than as a tool for leverage against   to its opening in 2009.           of Lubbock.  Having worked at
          anyone who might be foolish                                             the City for so long, he knew
          enough to think this moniker        After retiring from the City        that a performing arts center had
          gives them any advantage in a       in 2011, with over 22 years of      been identified years before as
          negotiation.                        service, Rob began looking for      a major catalyst for downtown
                                              his next challenge.  He found it    redevelopment in various City
          Although Rob Allison was not        very quickly, working behind the    of Lubbock development studies
          born in Lubbock, few people bleed   scenes with The CH Foundation       and plans.  He also knew that the
          Texas Tech red and black more       and the Helen Jones Foundation      impact would be felt far beyond
          than he does.  And few people, if   in 2011 on the initial conceptual   the borders of downtown Lubbock
          any, took longer to graduate from   planning, design and early          and that this would be much more
          his beloved alma mater than he,     fundraising for Buddy Holly Hall.    than a performing arts center.
          a little over 35 years from start to   When the Lubbock Entertainment
          finish at the age of 53.  That, in and   and Performing Arts Association   When the initial feasibility
          of itself, is a great story to be saved   (LEPAA) was formed in March   study came back positive for
          for another time.                   2013 as the non-profit entity to    possible users, but also showed
                                              own Buddy Holly Hall, Rob           that Buddy Holly Hall would
          For over 15 years, I have had the   became their project consultant.    likely lose money on operations
          pleasure of knowing and working     He continued in this capacity until   (as many performing arts
          closely with Rob – first on the     October 2015, when he became the    centers do, requiring substantial
          Overton Hotel and Conference        Executive Director of LEPAA.        endowments), Rob began meeting
          Center and most recently on the                                         with potential local tenants who
          Buddy Holly Hall of Performing      From the very beginning, Rob        could use the building and pay
          Arts and Sciences (Buddy Holly      saw the potential for Buddy Holly   for the spaces they would occupy








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