WACO, Texas — Work has officially started in an East Waco neighborhood on a long-awaited project.
If you frequently visit Elm Avenue, you know The Boardwalk on Elm is the place to get your daily dose of what's happening in the neighborhood. Recently, the only thing people have been talking about is the construction that's finally underway.
"It’s a long time coming,” resident of East Waco, Wannika Muhammad, said. “It went from being quiet and sleepy to now you see a lot of projects being done. It’s good. I don’t have a problem with new development."
The City of Waco is spent millions of dollars to replace infrastructure, put in new water sewer gutter, ADA ramps and sidewalks on Elm Avenue.
“We know we are going to be over $10 million dollars total investment but when you try to do an improvement like this, and with the finite piece on what it will look, and feel and play like, I think it’s worth the investment,” City of Waco Streets Division Manager Jim Reed said.
While construction workers worked on utility lines in front of the East Waco Library, they discovered old train tracks under the road.
"We're looking at removal of those railroad tracks,” Reed said. “I think it's better for us in the long run. If we have a water repair, we don’t have to battle through concrete and railroad ties and all that.
New businesses, new apartments and hotels are going up, in an effort to bring more traffic back to the historic neighborhood.
"Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think people have a problem with development as they would have a problem with the area losing its historical character,” Muhammad said. “If that stays intact, I don’t have an issue with development per se."
The sidewalk project goes from Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. to Clifton St. with some extensions to University Parks Dr. Waco also received a grant that will allow them to add new sidewalks at J.H. Hines Elementary School.
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