During Tuesday morning’s meeting, the Brownwood City Council unanimously approved a 10-year lease with Howard Payne University, which will take over control of the Brownwood Coliseum on May 10.

“Howard Payne has enjoyed the use of the coliseum for many years and we’re happy to host them, but it got to the point where they were needing more time in the coliseum than the City was able to give them,” said Brownwood City Manager Emily Crawford. “With the new events center that has been approved, what the City will be able to do is most event that took place in the Coliseum can take place in the new events center when that’s completed, which would allow more time for Howard Payne to have the facility for more use.”

Regarding additional details of the agreement, Crawford said, “We’ve come to a 10-year agreement for the university to lease the coliseum from the City and take over complete control of the maintenance, operation, and staffing of the facility so they can use it more beneficially to the university, but they will also be allowing it to be open for public use as is currently is.”

Howard Payne president Dr. Cory Hines was among the university’s contingent at the meeting and stated representatives of the institution were slated to meet in early May to approve the agreement on the school’s end.