ABILENE, Texas — Abilene leaders and construction representatives held a 'Topping Out' milestone ceremony and luncheon to celebrate the progress of the DoubleTree by Hilton Abilene Hotel and Convention Center project in downtown Abilene.
A 'Topping Off' ceremony is when the construction and project team celebrate the progress and accomplishments of a construction project.
DPR Construction began this project in October 2021 and are currently ahead of schedule, which is said to be unheard of for most construction projects.
DPR Project Manager Mike Hall said it was very important to recognize and celebrate the efforts of all of the work crews who have been integral in helping the project get to this point.
“Our folks are excited. We've got three we're covering here. We had about ten people out here and all of them loved it out here. I know our main project teams are getting ensconced in the community and just, just enjoying their time out here and excited to be able to interact and build in Abilene,” Hall said.
There are at least 200 men and women working more than eight hours a day to get the project done.
The hotel is being built seven stories high with approximately 200 rooms available. It is also in the middle of Abilene's downtown district.
Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams was at the ceremony and shared words on how the hotel will contribute to reviving the downtown area.
Robert Lopez, Abilene Convention & Visitors Bureau vice president, said this new hotel development will not only provide new amenities to downtown, but will also bring more employment to those looking for work and increase tourism for Abilene.
“From a tourism perspective, this hotel is going to be a game changer. When you have 200-300 additional people every day in the downtown area, restaurants are going to be full nightlife and night entertainment is going to be full and the boutiques are going to sell more. The coffee shops are going to do better. All of the businesses already down here are going to continue to thrive,” Lopez explained.
Lopez said the visitors bureau is actively working with hotel officials to book conventions for the future. He expects the hotel to bring in millions of dollars to the City of Abilene.
The hotel is expected to be finished in Spring 2023.