One group gathered on a bustling autumn morning in October – rare in a month with near-record temperatures – to celebrate the arrival of a downtown convention-style hotel.
No, it’s not built yet. The block lined with Cedar and Cypress Streets and opposite the Abilene Convention Center remains bare. It’s getting harder and harder to remember that there was once a greyhound bus station and the city’s water board.
We waited a long time for something to happen.
The hotel is being built. An effort that began years ago and that will dramatically change the downtown skyline. You have to go back to 1984 when the ten-story First Financial Bank building on Pine Street was completed to remember this type of game changer in the CBD.
How important is this project?
We have first hand experience.
Last weekend, the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors conference was held in San Angelo. There was no conference in 2020 – surprise! – and a spring meeting in 2021 has been postponed to autumn. But it finally happened.
Hosting San Angelo is a matter close to the heart, as these gatherings are usually held in much larger cities, where there are plenty of meeting places and activities. Over the past few years we’ve met in Dallas, Corpus Christi, and Austin.
The Dallas get-together was especially nice because we met at the Omni, the hotel that seems to pop up on television broadcasts of the Dallas Cowboys home games. It is the wide hotel with a themed lighted exterior. For example, as a US flag on September 11th.
San Angelo doesn’t have a real congress hotel.
We stayed in one near the Concho River, which was next to the McNease Convention Center. We had our morning panel discussions there.
We walked from the hotel to the center in maybe a minute.
Don’t under-sell convenience.
The central location also allowed us to enjoy the river walk and a quick ride to the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, which is shaped like a saddle; to Fort Concho; and downtown where we had our award lunch. Then enjoyed a sunny Saturday afternoon downtown that was packed.
Several events appeared to be going on – a riverside car show and a beer tasting, both of which attracted crowds. Others made their way to the Daily Scoop, a locally owned ice cream parlor.
At lunch we were greeted by Brenda Gunter, the two-year mayor of San Angelo. She owns and operates Miss Hattie’s restaurant where we were gathered.
She took the opportunity to brag about San Angelo. She noted that just a month ago, the city was named Destination of the Year at the Texas Travel Awards and Fort Concho was voted the state’s best historic site.
Gunter also said that San Angelo has been considered the second best western-themed city in the country and has received awards for being visually appealing. You start counting all the uniquely designed fiberglass sheep outside of the local shops and don’t fall asleep.
San Angelo’s history includes its importance as a wool marketing center.
A Standard Times conference attendant spoke about a bookstore just around the corner that specializes in Texan dishes.
The night before, Bob Bluthardt, the director of Fort Concho, had his chance to promote San Angelo. And the importance of newspapers that we all appreciated.
All of this made the Abilene editor squirm in his seat.
This is due to the similarities between the two cities. Well, we ceded the river to San Angelo. As much as we try, the promotion of Cedar Creek just won’t do it. The closest we come to a river is to drive around Barrow-South 14th Street area after a downpour.
But we also have ice cream in the city center now. And a great bookstore for all that Texas has to offer. And we have picture book sculptures instead of sheep. We have places to eat and get a locally made brew.
And the Paramount Theater, Grace Museum and soon the Abilene Heritage Square are just a tram ride away.
And in 2023 we will have a hotel in the city center.
Our accommodation in San Angelo left a lot to be desired. The hotel is older and has few amenities. And the ones that had it didn’t work. The jacuzzi was cold and the gym unsuitable for a good workout. The taps on the bar were not working and when we asked for local beers we were offered a shiner.
There’s nothing wrong with Shiner, but that’s 300 miles southeast.
With our new hotel we will be able to attract more conferences and give attendees an even better impression of Abilene. There is nothing like a poor place to stay to keep people from returning.
San Angelo is a great destination. Your city center is livelier than ours on Saturdays – there seems to be more variety. And there is the river.
But with a downtown hotel, Abilene will be the talk of the town.
So, congratulations on this step. We are looking forward to the start of construction.
And maybe our press association can meet here in a few years.
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