Downtown Lufkin Not Getting Extra Parking Just Yet

If you have been in downtown Lufkin before, you know that finding a place to park is sometimes no easy task. Add an event downtown, and you might have to walk a block or more to your destination.

The new sidewalks and streets currently under construction until October, will not include street parking when completed. What if a building could be torn down to make more parking?

That was the proposal put to the county commissioners at a Tuesday meeting. County Judge Keith Wright and Lufkin Mayor Mark Hicks both support the idea.

Parking Project Could Be Revisited At A Later Date

According to the Lufkin Daily News, Pct. 1 Commissioner Kent Walker, Pct. 2 Commissioner Kermit Kennedy, Pct. 3 Commissioner Terry Pits and Pct. 4 Commissioner Kenneth Jeffrey did not approve a deal to make a parking lot where the old Angelina County Jail is.

The City of Lufkin offered to pay the $500,000 that the project was estimated to cost, according to Hicks. Tearing down the former Angelina County Jail seems like a good idea, but there is more involved.

Though the City of Lufkin would fund the project, the county would have to pay more than $60,000 to transfer the property. Future expansion and a new Angelina County Courthouse are in the works, and the county wants to retain ownership of the space.

Extra Parking Off The Table For Now

This is the second time the issue has been brought to the commissioner's court. It was tabled the first time because of wording that needed to be corrected.

Read More: Downtown Lufkin Shop Gets New Owners