BONHAM, Texas (KTEN) — Bonham taxpayers got an in-depth look at what's next for downtown development at a city council meeting Monday evening.

The downtown plan has been eleven months in the making. According to the president of the architecture firm brought in to assist with plans, one of the main goals is to make Bonham a more attractive place for visitors to spend money.

"You could also be considered — especially on the north side — a 'pass-through' town," HH Architects president Bruce Woody said. "Give them a reason to want to come to your town and to spend dollars and to visit."

Some expressed concern over the future of historic buildings during development. While the plan aims to refresh the city, it also will consider ways to maintain Bonham's distinct atmosphere while making sure buildings meet safety standards

"There's some buildings that frankly — as they have been developed years and years ago — they are either not in good physical or structural conditions, and some of those buildings may require some work," Woody said.

Now that the plan has been put together, city leaders will be holding further discussions with the public to gauge opinion on what else needs attention

"What we're doing today is planting seeds for what we're going to see over the next three, five, 10, 15, 20 years," said Alan McDonald, president of the Bonham Economic Development Corporation.