When Jim Holmes was elected mayor of Waco in May, he made his top priorities for the city clear.
Jim Holmes: “Downtown. Finishing up some of the downtown development.”
Now, Mayor Holmes may get his wish.
The Waco city council voted unanimously at Tuesday’s city council meeting to approve a strategic road map for consideration as part of the proposed redevelopment project in downtown Waco.
The road map shows four separate phases of the redevelopment project, with the goal to expand Waco’s city center if the plan is approved.
The cost of phase one will be $11.75 million, with the overall redevelopment project costing the city $167 million. Phase one would consist of improving current infrastructure, including restoring Barron’s Branch, a long-buried creek.
Now having adopted the road map, the council, if it chooses, can move forward with authorizing the first phase of the plan and could begin construction this summer.
The final redevelopment plan includes building a minor league baseball stadium, expanding the river walk, building new living spaces, a convention center and a Waco hotel.
The project is expected to take 12 to 20 years to complete.
You can view the full downtown redevelopment project proposal online at KWBU.org.
