Linbeck Group, LLC

A vision 20 years in the making now officially opened to the Abilene community! 🎉

This past weekend, the City of Abilene celebrated the Grand Opening of Abilene Heritage Square, a 144,000-square-foot, 9-acre campus that transforms the former Abilene High School and Lincoln Middle School into a new public library and mixed-used community events center.

Linbeck has been honored to bring this multi-building campus to life. Our team renovated and restored four historic buildings, including a 102-year-old academic building, a 1929 gymnasium, a 1950s classroom building, and a 1974 gymnasium, while integrating new construction and carefully preserving the original facades that have stood at the heart of Abilene for generations.

A century later, Abilene Heritage Square is a vibrant community hub built for the next generation, including:
• The new 37,000 SF Abilene Public Library
• SPARK Museum and Innovation Park, The Grace Museum's STEM and discovery center
• The 700-seat Owen Hall Auditorium and Performance Hall
• Community Event Center and home to the Stone Owl Institute and Friends of the Abilene Public Library

We are proud of what was built here, and grateful to Abilene Heritage Square Foundation, the City of Abilene, Texas, Grace Design Studios, and The Projects Group for the trust and partnership, along with every donor, volunteer, and resident who helped make this dream real.

From the East Coast to the West Coast, our Linbeck team joined industry leaders to share their experiences and what it takes to build complex cultural projects.

While Becky Burleson was representing Linbeck at the Building Museums™ Symposium in Baltimore, Trae Compton was on the other side of the country speaking at the USITT Annual Conference in Long Beach.

Becky joined a panel with Rafael Viñoly Architects to discuss real challenges in museum construction, including budget, schedule, fundraising, and the power of CMAR delivery to bring ambitious cultural institutions to life. Meanwhile, Trae took the stage with Dave Vieira with Design Group, Rachel Harrah with Harrah LLC, and Dan Clevenger with DLR Group for a session titled "Bridging Theatre and Construction," exploring how professionals with backgrounds in both theatre and the AEC industry collaborate to turn creative visions into reality.

Different cities, different audiences, both representing the depth of expertise Linbeck brings to cultural and performing arts projects across the country.

Thank you to the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums (MAAM) and USITT for having our team. We are grateful to be part of these conversations.