Economy of Lubbock

Lubbock's newest open-air shopping center, Canyon West, features a Target, DSW, Ulta, Burlington Coat Factory, World Market, Five Guys and LifeWay. Two more stages of development are planned. It is located at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Marsha Sharp Freeway.

Economic development

Originally founded as Market Lubbock in 1997, the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) was established by the City to recruit new business and industry to Lubbock and to retain existing companies. LEDA's mission is to promote economic growth through the creation of high-quality jobs, attract new capital investment, retain and expand existing businesses, and improve the quality of life in Lubbock.

Environmental issues

The Scrub-A-Dubb Barrel Company, located in the north of the city, had been the cause of public complaints, and committed numerous environmental violations, since the 1970s. Local KCBD News undertook several investigations into the barrel recycling company's waste-handling practices, and when the business closed in 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency was called in to begin cleaning up the site, which they described as "a threat to public health, welfare, and the environment". Greg Fife, the EPA's on-site coordinator, said: "Out of the 60,000 [barrels] we have on site we think there are between 2,000 and 4,000 that have significant hazardous waste in them". Local residents were informed, "hazardous substances have overflowed the vats and flowed off the Site into nearby Blackwater Draw and subsequently through Mackenzie recreational park. The runoff is easily accessible to children at play in the park, golfers, and the park's wildlife." Remediation of the