Council approves $3 million AEDC agreement for Amarillo College's Innovation Outpost and $150,000 for job training, 5-0

What the sources say

• ✓ Verified

  Councilmember Powell moved and Councilmember Sauer seconded an AEDC agreement with Amarillo College 'for $3 million to be paid to Amarillo College over a five-year period' to renovate its facility at 14th and Polk into the Innovation Outpost. It passed 5-0. A second motion, by Councilmember Powell seconded by Councilmember Smith, approved an agreement among the AEDC, the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission and the Texas Workforce Commission 'in the amount of $150,000' for high-demand job training; it also passed 5-0.^[1]

  Outpost

  $3,000,000

  Job training

  $150,000

• ✓ Verified

  Payments to date (AEDC records, unaudited for 2026): the AEDC's FY2024 audit says $1,200,000 of the $3,000,000 had been paid by September 30, 2024. The AEDC's status report through March 31, 2026 lists $1,800,000 paid in prior years, $600,000 paid in the current year and $600,000 in future commitments.^[3][4][5][6]

  Paid through 2026 03

  $2,400,000

  Remaining

  $600,000

• ✓ Verified

  The AEDC's account registers list payments of $600,000.00 to the Amarillo College Business Office on November 10, 2022 and November 2, 2023, and $600,000 on October 20, 2025, each one-fifth of the $3 million the council approved for the Innovation Outpost over five years; the registers do not name the agreement. The registers also list other payments to the Amarillo College Business Office, including $746,710.71 on December 26, 2024, without stating their purpose. ^{[5][6][7][8][1]}

  Annual payment

  $600,000

  Payment 2024 12

  $746,711