ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A hotel being built near the Abilene Convention Center downtown is in its homestretch, expected to be completed in the spring of 2023. But what will it be called? Well, the City of Abilene is putting its hat in the ring for naming rights to the hotel, and that comes with a hefty annual fee.
Right now, it’s simply called “DoubleTree by Hilton Convention Center Hotel,” but is best known around town as “that new downtown hotel.”
Similar to the Taylor Telecom Arena, Guitar Arena and the First Financial Bank Pavilion – all at the Taylor County Expo Center, the City pays for naming rights to those facilities.
Who’s paying the annual fee, though? For example, Taylor Telecom pays the annual fee to post its name on the arena.
Unfortunately, in Monday’s City Council preview, possible names were not discussed.
Abilene City Manager, Robert Hanna said he will ask City Council to grant him approval to enter an agreement with the company that explores naming rights.
That company is Garfield Public Private. It will explore and analyze the facility’s value, then conduct a sponsorship campaign agreement for the City of Abilene.
“The folks who are helping us develop the hotel, now they have approached me and think that there is opportunity for naming rights for some of the new facilities and or the existing convention center,” explained Hanna. “Several hundred thousand dollars’ worth, perhaps.”
A final agreement will be taken to Abilene City Council for approval at a later date. From there, some naming ideas will be tossed around.
