ODESSA, Texas — The City of Odessa announced a couple of months ago that it was taking a significant step forward with efforts to build a sports complex on the northeast side of town. On Tuesday, the city council officially took that leap.
The city made a few things official with the project, highlighted by council accepting the 100-acre, $5 million donation by Larry Bell and his family. Bell is the President of Bell Legacy Partnership and is a true family man making a special contribution to his community.
This is just another example of giving back from a family who has deep ties in the Permian Basin.
“Give back to where you came from," said Bell.
Bell and his family have certainly done that. As their kind donation became official Tuesday, land has been set aside to become a sports complex for the community to enjoy.
“The quality of life really is a focus on family, and that’s ultimately something that’s absolutely essential and important in our lives, being able to do things with our kids – be active and involved with them," said Bell.
Bell says that’s what the community has been for them.
“It’s just a place that’s given us so much and provided us such wonderful opportunity to do really good and wonderful things with our family," said Bell.
Now, they see this as an opportunity.
“When we read that our site was chosen as the preferred site for the sports complex, we met as a family and said ‘You know what? This may be the opportunity we’ve been looking for to say thank you to Odessa and to the community and to the entire Permian Basin for what it’s given us.',” said Bell.
This is just the first step towards making it a reality, and Bell wants others to step up too.
“We would invite all the many companies, businesses, families of the Permian Basin who have been similarly blessed by our time here in the Permian Basin to join with us and pay it forward," said Bell. "And we would ask that they consider doing it in a significant way for the youth of Odessa and the Permian Basin.”
As Odessans show their support, the feeling is mutual for Mr. Bell and his family.
“Tearful and humbled – kind of getting a little chill bump on my shoulder from what you just said because that’s what we want it to be," said Bell. "We want it to be joyful, we want it to be seen as a great opportunity because, frankly, the youth of Odessa deserve this and I think we can give it to them."
Bell noted that the youth are our future and that a facility like this has been needed for a long time. On Tuesday, the city council also named the non-profit foundation for the sports complex after Amy Bell to honor Mr. and Mrs. Bell’s daughter who passed away about 10 years ago.