Knipling Education and Conference Center

The Knipling Education and Conference Center, a 4,000 sq ft renovation at 21st St. and Louisville Ave. in Lubbock, is complete. The project, filed under the name Covenant Health, involved enclosing a former exterior patio to create new interior conditioned space. TDLR closed the project file in May 2022, marking the end of the accessibility review process for this construction.

This renovation was privately funded on private land for private use. The estimated cost was $450,000, which works out to $112 per square foot. The scope of work included adding HVAC systems, installing new storefronts, and finishing the interior with new ceilings, lighting, flooring, and wall finishes. Construction began in May 2021, following an April 2021 registration with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Project Context and Comparisons

Compared to other renovation and alteration filings in Lubbock County from 1999, this project’s cost is above the county median of $300,000. The scheduled build window of 365 days is longer than the county median of 123 days. However, the cost per square foot of $112 is close to the county median of $100. The median size for similar projects in the area is 3,753 sq ft, making this project slightly larger than the typical filing.

Covenant Health is the owner of record for this project. The firm has six other TDLR-registered projects in Lubbock, totaling approximately $16.1 million. These include the Covenant Health System, Covenant Children's Hospital, and other facilities. The design firm of record is Parkhill, which has been involved in six other registered projects across Texas, including locations in Midland, Amarillo, and San Angelo. The registered accessibility specialist for this specific project is Stephen D Macphie.

Local Area Profile

The project is located in ZIP code 79410. According to U.S. Census ACS 2023 five-year estimates, the area has a population of about 10,425 residents. The median household income is $48,350, and the median owner-occupied home value is $211,300. The housing stock consists of 4,736 units, with a majority being renter-occupied. Lubbock County’s unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in July 2026, which is higher than a year earlier.