When we came in, she would just have to do it again. With all the traffic through here, the staff is just constantly cleaning. But cosmetic upkeep isn't enough, said Rob Barnhill, chairman of Civic Abilene, the center's advisory board. Basically, that's what we need to do here to keep the Civic Center marketable. Along with renovations to the auditorium and lobby, Civic Center officials want to remodel the south entry to provide handicapped accessibility and to address safety concerns.
Early voting is under way.
The Capital Improvement Program's citizen advisory committee endorsed a bond election package that would improve streets, traffic signals and parks, build a new Rose Park Senior Center, renovate the Civic Center and construct a new central fire station and emergency operation center. The nine-member group was charged with studying the city's capital needs and recommending which should be financed. While voters will consider the propositions independently in the Dec. 8 election, city officials are not calculating the proposals' individual costs. Competition from cities such as San Angelo, Lubbock and Waco worry local officials about the future viability of their center. Although the stage is exemplary, the theater accommodations are problematic, he said.