A global effort that grew from a viral Instagram series in Lubbock began with the phrase, “I just bought this elementary school, and that’s kind of crazy.”
This phrase became the intro to a six-part series where Mohamad Altabaa, a third-year Texas Tech medical student, shows the transformation of a former Lubbock elementary school into a community center and masjid (mosque) open to everyone.
In just over a month, the student-led effort to build The Unity Center, 701 E. Queens St., completed this weekend. Here’s what to know about the space, inspiration, and what it means to the people involved.
How did The Unity Center Lubbock begin?
Altabaa bought the former elementary school, which closed in 2011, in January with the goal of having it renovated and ready by Feb. 17, the start of Ramadan. That gave Altabaa 45 days to transform the abandoned building…