WACO, Texas — The city of Waco is eyeing a promising plot of mixed-use land in the city's Barron Branch District for a stream, walking paths, plaza, shaded amphitheater and more as designs were presented to the Waco City Council this week.
The renderings showed what would be the first phase of an a decade-plus long redevelopment of downtown that could begin as early as 2025 with the creation of the "Barron's Branch District."
The tract of land lies between Washington Avenue and Jefferson Avenue near the Brazos River. The former home of the Calle Dos neighborhood, which is relatively vacant outside of the Waco Independent School District track facility.
The project is part of the overall redevelopment plan for the city designed by Hunt Development Group.
Tom Balk is the director of strategic initiatives for the city who handles the initiatives of the council, city manager's office. He says such a large scale project has to take into consideration the needs and limitations of the citizens of Waco before ground can be broken.
"We need to make sure that we coordinate early and often to maximize the inclusivity for folks who may be in a wheel chair, may be visually impaired or may be just elderly when we're constructing and planning out these kinds of amenities," Balk said.
Phase 1A of the project will also provide street extensions Balk said are crucial to the water and sewer systems of the city.
"It's exciting to see what the new vision of Calle Dos could look like," Balk said.
The renderings show a new plaza along Jefferson Avenue between the Brazos and the St. Francis on the Brazos Catholic Church and a reconstruction of La Pila plaza.
The restoration of Barron's Branch to a flowing waterway instead of confined to an underground drainage tunnel. The project would also create a second tunnel to relieve any potential flooding of Barron's Branch, along with a canal with recirculated water from the Brazos River flowing through it.
Balk said Barron's Branch will also attract private developers and said he's already hearing interest from out-of-state groups potentially looking to build what could be multistory buildings, shops and more in Waco down the line.
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