Buffalo Gap Road area booming, residents react

ABILENE, Texas -

Buffalo Gap Road was once a mainly residential area, but now commercial buildings are becoming more popular. For business owners it is a great opportunity to expand and expose their business, however people living in the area are not so sure.

Buffalo Gap Road is an area that experiences high traffic, that is why Duane Martin, Director of Architectural and Engineering Services of Hendrick Health System, wanted Hendrick to expand there.

"We primarily chose that area because of the growth in that area," Martin said, "and literally the volume of people that go up and down that highway."

Hendrick's new building will be 38,000 square feet, with facilities large enough for 11 physicians as well as a radiology lab. It is expected to be completed in September of 2015.

Owner of Fire House Fitness, Timothy Smith, also chose Buffalo Gap for a new expansion for his gym. He chose the location because of the high volume of traffic, hoping to make his gyms more accessible.

"It is a well trafficked street, a well known street," Smith said, "everyone in town knows Buffalo Gap Road, so we chose this area for accessibility."

In order to use the location on Buffalo Gap Road it needs to be rezoned under commercial use, and that will be determined by City Council on November 6th.

The increased volume of people and cars has helped local businesses, but many of the residents we spoke to felt that the traffic on Buffalo Gap Road was terrible.

Blanca Aguilera, a grandmother and resident, believed the traffic to be a safety concern.

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Buffalo Gap Road area booming, residents react