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Cisco wants to build $35 million lake resort
More Local News Cisco community leaders still hope to move forward with plans for developing a $35 million resort at Lake Cisco.
Although the Hilton Hotels Corp. apparently has declined to become involved in the project, a newly created committee of area residents will meet Sept. 16 to discuss the project's future.
More than a year ago, Cisco Mayor Hal Porter and an interested group of residents put together a striking vision for their city's revitalization.
They wanted to partner with the Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Hilton Hotels Corp. to develop a 100-room hotel and resort with attractions that include a water park at the historic swimming pool at Lake Cisco, an expanded golf course and a rodeo arena.
The historic pool, once billed as the largest outdoor concrete swimming pool, closed in 1974 after 46 years. The dam at the lake (once open to the public) helped the school's football team earn the nickname "Big Dam Loboes." The city has been trying to find new uses for the pool area.
The latest venture was called the Hilton Heritage Resort, said Porter, who is also the Cisco schools superintendent. He said the city of Cisco, in concert with the Cisco Development Corp., has investigated the possibility of developing the area around Lake Cisco into a resort.
Porter said the Cisco Development Corp. assisted with the process of hiring a consultant to do a feasibility study, which cost $17,000. CADCO architectural firm out of Abilene drew up the designs.
Armed with the plans and a study, the Cisco group approached the Hilton Hotels Corp. because Cisco was the home of Conrad Hilton's first hotel, which is a now a historic landmark. But the Hilton representatives didn't warm to the proposal.
"Unfortunately, the corporation did not take into account the attractions we planned to develop that are unique to Cisco when they looked at the proposal," Porter said.
The consultant suggested that Cisco, a city of 3,800 people, narrow the scope of its development plan, but proponents have not backed down from their revitalization effort.
"The community is excited about this. There is so much history around Cisco to build on, but we will need a major partner to get the project developed," said Don Henry, chairman of the Cisco Economic Development Board. "We will offer in-kind incentives such as land for the project and tax relief."
The mayor has appointed 21 people, including himself, to the newly created Parks Special Study Committee to continue exploring the project. The committee will meet in its first called meeting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 16 in the Davis Learning Resource Center at Cisco Elementary School, 503 W. 11th St.
Posted by sdplm on September 5, 2008 at 2 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Congratulations to the Mayor and all the other forward thinking people in Cisco. The old saying is "to fail to plan is to plan to fail".
I am sorry to hear that the Hilton Hotels Corp. was not as keen on the idea as the locals in Cisco. Given the historical connections, that was the ideal place to start. I hope that their refusal doesn't derail the idea. What I really hope is that you can find someone else that will join in and that it is a successful venture. When that happens perhaps the Hilton Hotels Corp. will see the error of their ways and you guys have two resort hotels. Who knows where it could go from there!
Please hang tough and do not give up on the deal.
Posted by goatfart on September 5, 2008 at 6:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No offense to the folks at Cisco, but has the Mayor there went down any of the residential streets? I live in a neighboring community, and when I go see family in Cisco I always drive my 4x4 because their residential streets are all dirt, and most are washed out. They don't clean the bar ditches or cut the overhanging trees in the streets. The road going through my pasture is like a super hiway compared to the washed out, pot hole, dirt roads in Cisco. $17,000 would have fixed a lot of roads. I also hear that there is always a postcard in their mail, telling them the water is bad to drink and causes cancer, kidney failure etc. Maybe they need to spend their $$ on city improvements instead of pipe dreams.
Posted by djr46 on September 5, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Cisco is NOT the place to build a resort and lose that kind of money. Not enough traffic to support a venture of that type. I agree with the Hilton firm. CRAZY is the word I use to describe spending that kind of money to build a "Resort" in Cisco?
I have some nice farming land for sale in the Sahara if anyone wants to invest..... :)
Posted by ebtry on September 5, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Streets shouldn't matter. You travel anywhere in the Caribbean and you are practically on dirt.
The key word here is resort. Lure them to the resort and they have everything they need. No need to go out on the streets of Cisco.
Good work Cisco, don't give up. Not too many communities of your size have the vision to do what you want to do.
Recall the movie... "if you build it, they will come"
Posted by Vena on September 5, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This sounds like another one of Eastland County's grand schemes to pad the pockets of those involved which is really too bad. The people of Eastland county deserve so much more than what they have been given. Unfortunately if anyone speaks the truth and tells anyone about the corruption they are fed to the wolves and pay a hefty price for being honest and doing the right thing. I wish Eastland County the best, but until they realize they are being raped by these same individuals over and over the county will never be anything more than it is where the rich get richer and poor get poorer and EVERYONE in Texas is paying the price.
Posted by jarlead on September 5, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This is dumb. Let the mayor and former Superintendent place ALL their money, retirement money, possessions in this project and see if they are willing to "bet". They want Hilton to take the gamble. To pay for such a resort would take multiple millioins of dollars each year just for the interest. That is not taking into account cost of running it.
It would take 30,000 guest a years to pay for it, all coming to Cisco. But like Abilene, they love to pay outside consultants.
Posted by FEDUP on September 5, 2008 at 5:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Vena, you took the words right out of my mouth, I agree with you 100%, everyone is afraid to be honest and speak their mind for fear of retaliation.
This “resort” has to be someone’s fantasy; I really wish they would fantasize about fixing the streets and making the water drinkable.
The $17000 they blew on drawing designs could have gone towards fixing the dirt roads in Cisco that are worse than in some 3rd world countries.
Only God knows how the 35 million would have been spent, probably a few select people would have gotten very rich.
Thank you Vena for telling the truth.
Posted by Mercifool on September 5, 2008 at 6:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ebtry, I cant fathom how you could compare Cisco to the Caribbean, the only similarity between the two is that you're told not to drink the water when you travel there.
Although you're right about one thing, those "lured" to this 35 million dollar farce wouldn't help stimulate the small business economy of cisco in the least, only those involved with the resort would reap any benefits, NOT the taxpaying lower middle class majority in cisco.
I refuse to stand by and see my taxes raised so the mayor and his cronies have a place to golf and tan, being a superintendent he should know all too well cisco needs something to occupy the youth, not the geriatric.
I also remember a few quotes from that movie:
Do we have a learning disability here? - James Earl Jones
Step aside, you nazi cow! - Kevin Costner
Posted by tud_sandwich on September 5, 2008 at 11:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope they didn't plan to build the resort BELOW the old dam, where the swimming pool was. That dam has gone well past its peak of structural integrity. After 65-70 years, the concrete and steel starts getting weaker and the next ten inch rain might finish it off.
That's partially why everything shut down. The interior of the dam wasn't safe to go through and the water leaking through the worn out valves and piping wasn't very good quality during all of the "drought years" we frequently experience.
If they want to raise $35 million, then start taxing all of the Eastland County meth labs and they should have enough in a couple of years!
Posted by WstTxLady on September 6, 2008 at 1:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Making a "resort" is the last thing that town needs to think about. Its need to focus on what it can do to IMPROVE the town FIRST. I realize that it & towns like it are drying up & blowing away but a "lake resort" is NOT the answer. And to ask "Hilton" to get involved. DUHHH they will decline.
Posted by cstovall79 on September 6, 2008 at 1:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A resort for Cisco, I can't imagine. I want to know what Cisco thinks is going to draw people into town. Cisco has antique shops and the Folklife Festival in April.
I grew up in Cisco and was always told it was a retirement town. There used to be a walk in theater that stayed packed on the weekends. I remember swimming in the worlds largest pool, playing miniature golf, and skating at the upstairs rink. I remember the cars parked along hwy. 6 during the 4th of July. It was a big celebration and a blast and then it was shut down and nothing for the kids to do. There was a skating rink in town, but has since been closed. How about a drive in theater, bowling alley, and miniature golf or something like that. Not just for kids, but something for everybody to enjoy.
I agree with Tud about the dam. People have not been able to drive across the dam for over 20 years because of deterioration.
As for the roads, how about restoring the brick roads like Breckenridge did a few years back.
Go Cisco Loboes!
Posted by john_t_s on September 6, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hear that Disney wants in on this deal.
Posted by Vena on September 7, 2008 at 3:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
FEDUP,it's refreshing to know that someone else has a clue to what is really going on in that county. I know the cost of standing up and telling the truth when it comes to these people and I'm still paying the price. You are right on about the few select people. You can look into nearly every grant in Eastland county and you will find the same names over and over and over. They have each others backs all the way to Austin and they will continue to have nice little luxurious lives until enough people come together to stop them.
Posted by hamilton_barry on September 8, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I was born and raised in Cisco, and graduated from Cisco High School. I have many wonderful memories of the town, especially the old city park. I am old enough to have walked through the Williamson Dam when it was open to the public. My class had its eighth grade picnic out there in the early seventies. But I was astonished to hear of this $35 million project as a serious business proposal. The old park was constructed in the 1920's and 1930's, in a socioeconomic environment dramatically different from today's world. Towns like Cisco have financially suffered because of global trade, especially with the Far East, where goods once manufactured in small towns like Cisco are now produced by the Chinese. I still have family in Cisco and visit annually (I live in the Northeast), and regularly photograph the town I remember before the downtown area completely decays. I still like Cisco and in fact plan to retire there. Maybe I will have enough money saved to pave the street in front of my house:)
I hear my relatives complain all the time about the city water that is declared "unfit for human consumption." Would the folks that visit this proposed resort like to swim in water of this nature? I have relatives in Dallas and I cannot imagine them wanting to stay at a resort in Cisco. People in DFW go the the Caribbean, even with the dirt streets, because they can boast to their rich friends that they spent Christmas vacation in Aruba (who plays one-upmanship by saying they spent their vacation in Cisco?) I would think rather that snooty people with $$$ would stop at an outlet mall--or better still, given Cisco's location and CURRENT recreation attractions--a Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop. Cisco would then become "Redneck Heaven" and once again a prosperous city!!
Posted by nannyintexas on September 8, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I grew up in Cisco, loved the town, own burial plots there. I,too, made many trips walking thru the dam. When I go to visit relatives there, I hear them complain about bad roads, bad drinking water and city officials. On one of my last visits to Cisco, I video taped the potholes in the road by my mom's house. I could travel no more than 5 miles per hour or risk damage to my car. Money could be better spent on cleaning up the water and paving the roads.
Posted by djr46 on September 9, 2008 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I read and see that a lot of people have a handle about what goes on in Eastland County. Meth labs tax? That's a Good one and completely in-line with reality. I have always strongly suspected the "labs" had a "protected" existence.
A resort in Cisco? Dumbest thing I've ever heard.
I agree that someone has visions of hauling in a Lot of money and living happily ever after on the proceeds.
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