The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 25, Ed. 1, Friday, November 20, 1998 Page: 3 of 8
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Retro
Renovations
Renovations restore downtown
In 1990 a tcim was formed to
bring the West back to Abilene
and it wasnt to fight against the
Indians
As a part of Abilene lnstor) one
of the last Indian fights occurred in
Januar 1876 as a result more
people decided to moc and settle
in the Ta)lor Count) town
Now Abilene is getting more
exposure due to recent renovations
the cit) has undergone The cit) is
also experiencing a recent rise in
population according to data from
the Abilene Chamber of Com
merce "
The city Ins tried to restore
buildings to resemble their natural
state businesses hac started and
art centers and museums arc being
opened
The monc) to start this on
going process is funded bv a por
lion of property lajvcs from a 100
block area called the Tax Incre
ment Financing District winch
includes downtown Abilene This
special fund has contributed to
refurbishing older brick buildings
to their historic state suppling
benches lighting trees and making
colorful sidewalks
Most of the monc) raised has
helped buildings left standing on
C)prcssStrect from Ecrrmn Park
to the Cimc Center and has also
improved the T&P buildings
which includes other historic
structures between the Union
Pacific railroad tracks and North
First Street
Another building that was
recentl) rcno ited is the T&P
Freight Warehouse located on
Brick wall: Kelvin Ed
modso of Abilene lays
brick Thursday afternoon
for a building that will
soon be a cooking school
next to McLemore Bass on
Pine Street
North Tirst Street east of Evcrman
Park
Joe and Sharon Allen owners of
several Abilene restaurants were
asked fic jears aeo b) the cilv of
Abilene to bring another restaurant
to Abilene The city of Abilene
paid for the reconstruction of the
building and the Aliens put
S200 000 of their own mone) into
the restaurant
The new restaurant called The
Railhead Grill will scre food
characterized bv Sharon Allen as
" I
down home cooking " There will
be a soup salad and pasta bar all
ou can cat buffet different dailj
specials with one meat option and
a combmition of two vegetables
and hamburgers and steaks on
dail) basis
One of the restaurants high
lights Sharon Allen pointed out
$fe!JSBM lik BffiHis
Focus
November 20 1998 Friday Page 3
Abilene
was an Italian bread oven that will
be out in the open for people to
watch cook breads and pizzas
The new restaurant plans to
have a college night at least once a
week with different wccklv spc
cials with an ID The area upstairs
on the west side will be for college
and high school students to eat
and pla pool and v ideo games
1 do want to trv and get college
students in here that is who I am
targeting Sharon Allen said
According to material from the
Abilene Chamber of Commerce
the biggest project off Cv press
Street is the Windsor Apartments
at North 4th and Pine streets The
Windsor Hotel was built in 1927
b) famed hotel tjcoon Conrad
Hilton and now is a housing pro
jeet for low income senior citizens
The building that started reno
vations downtown was the Para
mount Theatre
In 1985 a youp of volunteers
decided to restore this building
back to its natural state in the
1930s That group of volunteers
formed the Abilene Preservation
League The league was formed to
create an awareness of the prcscr
vation in Abilene
The Paramount is now a part of
the National Register of Historical
Places which bv law cannot be
torn down and Abilcnes Historic
Buildings
Belt) Hukill executive director
of the Paramount said the cmplo)
ccs work hard vv ith the upkeep of
the theatre
We want it to look the vvav tint
it look in the 1930s " Hukill said
m HMgiSMffi&K
Play ON water: top) New flags have been erected to encourage Abilene residents to take pride in thei
historic downtown (above) Everman Park was unveiled last year as a part of the renovations for down "
town Abilene The park includes benches various landscaping a fountain and a sculpture of children out;
of a book that takes place in Abilene i;
Text Photos and Design "by
Amanda Re iter 5
U3B9H I :
JililMiii'.'Hil
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 87, No. 25, Ed. 1, Friday, November 20, 1998, newspaper, November 20, 1998; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101603/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.