Abilene ? A developer has purchased the Old Abilene Town and Museum property as the first step in a plan to turn the historic tourist site into an attraction similar to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo.

Terry Tietjens, president of Historic Abilene Inc., completed a deal Monday to purchase the seven-acre museum property from the current owners.

Next, Tietjens will have to find funding options for New Old Abilene Town, which would cover 16 to 20 acres, cost $7 million to $8 million and — in concept — would be comparable to Silver Dollar City with entertainment, fine dining and working craftspeople.

“The next step is working through some of our state offices, (the Department of) Tourism, (the Department of Transportation), the Department of Commerce,” Tietjens said. “We’re looking for their help in grants.”

Without funding, there is no definite timeline at this point, Tietjens said, but he estimates it will take two years to complete the project.

“We will be buying extra land as financing and donations become available,” he said. “A lot of things will depend on funding and how things go.”

Existing buildings that hold historic value — including original log cabins, a schoolhouse, the T.C. Henry barn and the Bonebrake Opera House — will be refurbished, Tietjens said. The opera house will be converted into a theater.

Tietjens also has plans to purchase additional land to expand the attraction.

“We’re really starting from scratch,” Tietjens said. “We have money to buy most of the land, but we still expect much local funding to come to us. I’m a real believer that we do have to have a real strong base of Abilene taking part in the project.”