Founded in 1976 by CEO Lee Lewis, Lubbock-based Lee Lewis Construction Inc. has become a key player in the Texas construction scene.

The company ranked 18th on Texas Construction's list of the state's top contractors.

The Texas-owned and operated firm has also contributed to several nationally recognized structures, including the Grand Floridian Resort and Convention Center at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

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The company brought in $182 million in construction revenue last year, most of which came from projects for Texas school systems.

"One of the underlying principles of our business is 'the project you build today is the future of tomorrow'," said Lee Lewis.

Lee Lewis has benefited from its West Texas location and close proximity to Texas Tech. In 2003, Lee Lewis completed more than $90 million worth of work for the university, nearly half of the company's total revenue.

A revitalized sports program at Texas Tech has meant good things for Lee Lewis. The $80 million renovation of Jones SBC Stadium, home of the Red Raiders football team, was a two-phase project completed in 2003. Phase one included structural and architectural repair, renovations and additions to restroom and concession areas as well as the addition of end-zone seating.

Phase two expanded the press box and box suites and gave the stadium a new Spanish Renaissance exterior. Other projects in partnership with the school's athletic department include an $8.3 million football training facility and the $2.6 million Marsha Sharp Center for Student Athletes.

The company is currently working on two other projects for the university outside the athletic department: the $14.6 million Animal and Food Sciences Facility and the $28.5 million Experimental Sciences Building, which is scheduled for completion this year.

The 163,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art experimental sciences facility will feature basement laboratory space and three floors of classrooms, laboratories, offices and study areas. The fourth floor will house the building's air-handling equipment.

Construction is also scheduled to begin this year on the $25.5 million Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Clinical Tower.

While its relationship with Texas Tech is its most well-known business connection, Lee Lewis is also making inroads with the Texas A&M University System. In 2003, the firm completed a $10 million recreation facility at the Texas A&M campus in Commerce.

Construction is under way on the West Texas A&M Fine Arts Complex in Canyon.
Plans call for a $30 million, 143,000-sq.-ft. stand-alone structure that will accommodate studios for music, radio and television as well as a 305-seat theater, computer labs, classrooms and offices.

Part of the project's budget will go toward the addition of 20,000 sq. ft. to the Mary Moody Northen Hall, built in 1977 and the last new building constructed on the campus.

Lee Lewis also has a strong working relationship with the city of Frisco, the Dallas suburb that has been a hotbed for development during the past several years. In 2003 the firm completed the $2 million City of Frisco Senior Center, a 10,000-sq.-ft. facility housing a library, meeting room, game room and computer room.

Other new projects with Frisco are on tap.

"We are proud that the city has entrusted us with a large majority of their new developments," said Janna Orman, marketing coordinator for Lee Lewis.

One of the latest major developments between Lee Lewis and the city is the Frisco Soccer and Entertainment Complex, which will serve as the home for Major League Soccer team Dallas Burn.

The $60 million facility broke ground in February on a 115-acre site. The main stadium will seat more than 20,000 fans and also will host a variety of concerts, international soccer matches and high school football games. The complex will also boast 17 full-sized soccer fields that will be available for year-round use by the local soccer teams.

"This facility will set new standards for both functional design and creative uses, and that will bring enjoyment to the public for years to come," said Dallas Burn owner Lamar Hunt.

Other projects on the horizon include the $16 million Frisco Police/Courts Facility and the $20 million Frisco Recreation Facility.

Lee Lewis is also partnering with the city of Garland, another large Dallas suburb, on a variety of projects.

The city of Garland and Garland Independent School District have enlisted Lee Lewis in the construction of the $30 million Garland Special Events Center, a state-of-the-art assembly and conference center serving the school district and community.

The 190,000-sq.-ft. facility was designed by HKS Inc., the same architectural firm that designed Dallas' American Airlines Center and the Ballpark at Arlington. With 7,000 fixed seats, an 8,000 sq.-ft. ballroom and a 125-seat tiered lecture hall, the building will host sporting events and performing arts events that in the past were held in various locations.

"We applied the design thinking of a new pro facility into a high school level events center," said Craig Stockwell, architect for HKS. "Our focus was to provide a distinctive special events and conferencing facility that serves the students as well as the community."

The modern facility will incorporate large expanses of glass to allow natural lighting into the concourses. A curved exterior, distinctive roof elements and numerous façade articulations, "will transform what might be a typical gymnasium into an architectural icon," Stockwell added.

The facility will also house a rehabilitation center for athletes, which includes therapy tables, rehabilitation equipment and hydrotherapy tanks. The project team is eyeing a completion date sometime next year so that the events center will be able to host the annual Garland ISD convocation activities.

In addition to the events center, Lee Lewis is currently working on the $8.5 million Nita Pearson Elementary School in Rowlett for the Garland ISD and is nearing completion on the district's Griffin Middle School.

In other statewide public school districts the Frenship ISD (just outside of Lubbock) has hired Lee Lewis as part of a $30 million bond program that includes the construction of a new elementary school, new middle school and various renovations throughout the district.

The firm is also building the $10.5 million Lake Dallas Middle School for Lake Dallas ISD.

Last year was a successful one for Lee Lewis, and 2004 is shaping up to be a good year as well.

"The outlook in the state of Texas is extremely bright," Orman said. "We have many impressive projects on the horizon and look forward to continuing the relationships we have with the companies, school districts, churches and health care institutions in our state."