The City of Abilene recently announced a bond program for three separate projects totaling $52 million. The three projects are the following:
- $15 million for the addition of facilities at the Zoo
- $28 million for new recreation centers
- $9 million for a trail around Kirby Lake
The Zoo bond is the first installment of a four plan phase, titled “A Bold Adventure”, which involves the addition of a new amphitheater, a multispecies barn, a two-story café, and three new exhibits. The amphitheater is anticipated to be used for annual events, and as a classroom for schoolchildren to learn. The multispecies barn is to be used to expand the capacity for giraffes as well as add new animals such as Gazelle and Impalas. The two story café is planned to offer indoor dining with windows showcasing both the lion pride and the future cheetah coalition on the first floor. Meanwhile, the second floor will overlook the Zoo and have a view of the city. Last but not least, the bond also includes the addition of a new lion habitat along with meerkat and cheetah habitats.
(Courtesy of City of Abilene)
The recreation center bond proposes demolishing and rebuilding the G.V. Daniels Recreation Center and the Cesar Chavez Recreation Center. The project for the recreation centers has already gone through a feasibility study and an open meeting. The plan is to have one center closed at a time while being worked on, and for each center to incorporate the same design allowing for future growth. The expected timeline accounts for a 9-12 month design process and a 14-18 month construction process for each center.
The Kirby Lake trail bond is planned to construct a six mile trail around Kirby Lake consisting of concrete. The trail is planned to be used for biking, hiking, and bird watching. The trail bond comes as surveys involving Abilene citizens showed hiking and walking trails rated as the highest interest among participants. Currently the city of Abilene only manages eight miles of trail compared to the benchmark median of thirty-two miles. The new Kirby Lake trail bond alone will nearly double the city’s current system of trails while also allowing for the expansion and eventual connection to the Cedar Creek Trail.
These projects will be voted on election day November 7th 2023. If you want to see these bonds get passed, make sure to vote or tell friends and family of the upcoming election.
