ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The Abilene City Council held a special meeting Tuesday morning to get a look at updated renderings of the Cypress Street Corridor Project, presented by a local design firm. The new detailed design ideas would include everything from lighting and landscaping, to an audio system.

Some Cypress Street business owners voiced their concerns about there being less parking due to expanding the sidewalks. If this design is approved, it will remove 30 parking spots.

“When it is finally finished, we do lose some parking spaces that are accessible, and right now, the head-in parking is much desirable. I think more desirable than parallel parking,” Glenn Dromgoole, owner of Texas Star Trading Co., spoke up.

On the other hand, and just down the street, Grain Theory’s owner, David Kasselman, said he looks forward to this project.

“Downtowns are critical and really the heartbeat of any city, and so I’m glad that we’re looking at that and that’s going to be a part of our downtown,” said Kasselman.

The City of Abilene told KTAB/KRBC the Cypress Street Project will move forward as approved last year. The purpose of Tuesday’s meeting was to discuss a direction of the project.

In Tuesday’s meeting, the council said it would look into plans for more parking, additional street lights along Cypress Street, and a construction manager. The goal is to being working in January 2024.