ABILENE, TX – Thursday’s City Council meeting came with a lot of items on the agenda, including the sale of the T&P Warehouse on the corner of North 1st and Walnut St.
The Abilene City Council split the vote down the middle, which means the decision on which of the two bidders will be awarded the building is still up in the air.
Even though it’s only one building, these two bidders have completely different visions on what they want to do with the space.
The Abilene Chamber of Commerce wants to buy the building to turn it into office spaces, not just for them, but for all entities that work with bringing new businesses to town.
“This is a one-stop shop where an entrepreneur, a minority, a business, can walk in the front door and walk out the back door and have everything they need,” said Chamber Board Chairman Darrin Black.
On the other side, the Wolfe family is also bidding for the space, hoping to turn it into a late-night restaurant connecting the SODA District to Downtown Abilene.
“I envision the T&P Warehouse being a fantastic place to create family memories,” said a member of the Wolfe family.
“I think everybody’s goal is to see downtown as active and vibrant as possible,” said SODA District developer Tim Smith.
While the Wolfe family outbid the Chamber by almost $200,000, council says the decision comes down to who will put the building to better use.
They are expected to make a decision at their next meeting, which is scheduled for Aug. 24.
