A news report in the Waco Tribune Herald: Downtown Waco is starting to really thrive! I’m pretty excited about the new changes in the Waco area. It’s a breath a fresh air to really see projects actually start and take hold.
I moved to Waco in October of ’95 and have to admit that the area seemed pretty stale for the first several years I lived here. Waco today is like night and day compared to 13 years ago. The township seems more excited about the city, new employers are coming to town, new retail opening doors, new home construction has been brisk, renovations have been completed and much more….. heck, we finally have a Cheddar’s AND a Chipotle! (can we also get Grandy’s back to Waco and a Spaghetti Warehouse too)?
According to the Waco Trib, there’s a wave renovations underway in downtown Waco. Old buildings turned into an art gallery, recreation hall, concert venue, new restaurants, Irish pub….. Oh and “loft living”. Some of these condos are priced at over $200,000.
Investors have snatched up old abandoned building along Austin Ave. and other parts of Waco. Alot of this activity by the way, is within the last 3 years. In 2004, along the 700 block of Austin Ave., the only thing really there to speak of was the Hippodrome. Now? Find dining restaurant, indoor-outdoor bar with live music most nights, reception hall, and more. Also, a new 4,000 square foot art gallery will display work from artists all over the country. Another investor/developer has bought a building on Austin and plans to build loft apartments.
The whole Waco area has really “boomed” in the last few years, from my point of view:
- Addition of the Central Texas Marketplace outdoor mall
- Demolishing of the old Lake Air Mall and new shops/stores that have opened in its place
- Sanderson Farms opening of plant
- L3 Communications
- Caterpillar Logistics Center
- New restaurants such as: Cheddar’s, Chipotle, Pei Wei, etc…
- New hospital and more at the what will be Legends Crossing
- Upscale home construction. New neighborhoods like Twin Rivers, Badger Ranch, the continued expansion of Hidden Valley, Stone Creek Ranch, Cotton-Crossing, etc….
- And much more!
With all the development and renovations going on in the downtown area, it makes everything else look that more promising and gives you something to be excited about.
Pubs, art galleries, reception halls, fine dining, and loft living…. Is downtown Waco going “Cosmopolitan”?
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