Waco City Council adopts road map for downtown redevelopment

The strategic roadmap, designed by Hunt Development Group, lays out a framework for delivering $1.8 billion in investment to downtown Waco in four separate phases.

Four residents made public comments at Tuesday's meeting, opposing the approval of the strategic plan and asking that the council delay the vote in order to gather more input from the public. Waco resident Tiffany Reed said she and other residents didn't know enough about the plan yet for the council to vote on it.

“Developers and consultants promise these projects will spark economic development, but how do we know?” she said “What evidence do we have? Why are we letting an out-of-town consulting developer tell us what we're going to have in our downtown instead of involving the people who live and spend money here? Who is Hunt Development and why do we do it ? trust them?”

Council member Darius Ewing said he appreciated the public comments, but wanted to clarify that the council was only approving the strategic roadmap for consideration.

“I just want to add a clarification that today we are voting exclusively to approve the roadmap to be a structure by which we implement these phases, so we are not spending any funds today, we are not approving any progress today.” He said.

Mayor Jim Holmes echoed Ewing's comments and encouraged residents to review the plan.

“We're looking at the overall plan,” Holmes said. “This is going to change a hundred times before 20 years is up. We'll be looking at Phase 1 in more detail at a future council meeting, so tonight this vote is for the downtown development roadmap, and if you please look at it. If you have problems with it, contact your councilor and we will incorporate your ideas into the final plan.”

Once the road map is approved, the council can move forward with authorizing the first phase of the plan under a pre-development agreement. If authorized, Phase 1A could begin this summer with efforts to gather public and stakeholder input. If the planning portion of the phase is successful, Phase 1A could begin construction in June 2025.

Phase 1A of the project currently includes the discovery of the Barron Branch. The long-buried stream is located in a 22-foot drainage tunnel between Fourth Street and University Parks Drive. The project would restore the creek, surrounding it with walkways and shops. A new drainage tunnel would also be built on the site to remove the area's floodplain status and open up about 19 acres for development. New water, wastewater, stormwater and road infrastructure would be added to the blocks north of City Hall to help support future development in the area. To build the traditional downtown street network, Second and Third streets would extend north through Barron's Branch.

A group of partners who worked on the strategic roadmap presented their findings to council at a public work session Tuesday afternoon. Hunt Senior Vice President Rodney Moss said it was important to upgrade utilities in the Barren's Branch District first, as it would allow for more development in later phases of the project.

“Really, the only way to get that full development is to unlock that piece in the middle,” he said.

Phase 1A of the project would also create a pedestrian plaza along Jefferson Avenue connecting the Brazos River to St. Francis at Brazos Catholic Church. The area would have a fountain commonly known as La Pila and an entertainment venue called “La Mutualista Ballroom and Dance Floor”.

Tuesday's presentation lists the benefits of running the first phase of the project. Hunt estimates $368 million in new tax revenue in the downtown tax increment financing area and $312 million in the Waco Independent School District more than 50 years after completion. An economic impact analysis by Hunden Partners found that implementing a mixed-use district in Phase 1A could create more than 1,200 new permanent jobs.

Final funding sources for the project have not yet been determined, but city officials have said the plan could use private money, grants and incentives from the downtown Tax Increment Financing Zone. Items proposed for later phases range from a new office building shared by the city and Waco ISD to a new performing arts center, a relocation of the Waco Convention Center and a minor league stadium.