In a historic day for the City of Abilene, the Abilene Heritage Square Committee broke ground Thursday on a new midtown complex which will host a hatful of modern and interactive learning centers, drawing in local Abilenians and visitors alike.
The Abilene Heritage Square is the revitalization of the former Abilene High School and Lincoln Middle School, set on eight acres. This historic landmark, in the center of Abilene, previously served as a center for learning for over a century. The new campus will now “give the citizens of Abilene and its surrounding regions the tools and inspiration to attain their full potential as citizens and leaders,” according to Jane Beard, president of the AHS board.
Abilene Heritage Square’s roots
One afternoon in 2007, Jane Beard and Bill Minter, then president of the Abilene Preservation League, were sitting on the steps of the former Lincoln Middle School, discussing what should be done with the eight-acre campus. And according to Beard, it then dawned on them, the question shouldn’t be what the building could be, but instead what does Abilene need?
That was when they realized the magnitude of what this heartfelt project could become. According to Minter, the main focus was to keep the space publicly accessible and also provide a new premier library for the city who hadn’t built a new library in over 60 years. The committee also wanted to focus on the historic preservation of the learning campus, while providing economic development for the city.
The Abilene City Council donated the school lands to the committee and then the board got to work. So far, they have raised the entirety of the funds without costing Abilene’s taxpayers a dime. The board has currently raised 85% of their needed $78 million in funding. Despite the wake of the global pandemic and the rising cost of inflation, the committee has every bit of passion to see this project through because they understand what this can bring to the Abilene community.
The committee has projected a return investment of over $4 for every one dollar spent, which is projected to bring in over $361 million back into the Abilene community. The project will also create over 540 jobs in construction over the next two years, employing 90% locals, according to Chuck Lentz, the senior project manager.
Now over a decade in the making, the Abilene Heritage Square has finally reached the next step by breaking ground on construction that will continue over the next two years.
Abilene Heritage highlights: New library and science museum
The core of this complex will be a state-of-the-art main branch of the Abilene Public Library. The new library will span three floors of learning and will feature a podcast/recording studio, and an adjacent coffee shop. This branch will offer large study rooms and a teen space, along with masses of brand-new books for the community to enjoy.
Additionally, the Grace Museum will have a new satellite location within Heritage Square which will be an interactive science space called “Spark Innovation.” According to Lyric Kennedy, head of marketing and design at Heritage Square, this new science museum will have a focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) with both permanent and traveling exhibitions.
According to Laura Moore, a member of the heritage committee and executive director of the Grace Museum, the indoor exhibits will have an emphasis on potential scientific careers, so children can dream big. These exhibits will showcase everything from the human body to dinosaurs to space. The museum will also feature an over 8,000 square-foot outdoor play space for all ages to learn and explore STEAM initiatives.
Also located within the Abilene Heritage District will be the Stone Owl Institute. This extracurricular center for learning will provide an innovative scholarship program. According to Lyric Kennedy, Heritage Square’s head of marketing, local high school juniors and seniors who attend this extracurricular Texas/local history course will receive a $3,000 college scholarship by finish. Additionally, the Owl Institute will offer free history programming for adults, providing a space for our seniors to come together and engage in the community around them.
And lastly, multiple spaces within the school complex will be renovated and available for rentals, such as the historic auditorium and the Eagles Nest gymnasium. The rentals department will cater to everything from dramatic arts performances to 400-seat gala dinners, weddings, outdoor concerts and movies.
The future of Abilene Heritage Square
The Abilene Heritage Square will become a new gathering place for locals, a new children’s museum complex in West Texas, and a new center for economic development in downtown Abilene. According to the foundation, the Square “hopes to become a place that will promote lifelong learning, welcoming people from the Abilene community and beyond.”
The Abilene Heritage Square and its centers for learning are expected to be fully operational by the fall of 2025.
