By Rolando Rodriguez Soto

(This post is part of an on-going series about Downtown Waco.  In a sense, Downtown is “everybody’s neighborhood.”   In this series of blog posts we hope to contribute to the on-going conversation in Waco about what it takes to have a great downtown, and what we want for our own “Wacotown.”  To see all the posts in this series, click here: Downtown Waco. – ABT) 

The goal for revitalizing Downtown Waco is to create an all-inclusive downtown area that encourages people of all ages to visit on a regular basis.  One particularly important demographic is the millennial generation, roughly defined as those who graduated from high school in the year 2000 or later.  This group includes college students and young professionals.

I met with several young professionals and college students who were raised in Waco to hear what they wanted from downtown.  I focused on native Wacoans to get the perspective of people who have been exposed to downtown before and after the recent growth in downtown development.

Unsurprisingly, different people want and need different things from downtown – different things motivate them to make the trip to Waco’s city center. Some prefer a quiet place to study, some want to relax during the day with family, while others prefer a fun environment that can last all night.

Creating a livable downtown will mean establishing a balanced environment that appeals to a variety of personalities and accommodates different schedules. For example, Anthony Albiter and Angeli Mondragon put a high priority on daytime activities they can enjoy with their families. Richard Fuentes and Leonor Campos, on the other hand, crave more nightlife with music and entertainment.

Anthony was raised in the north Waco area. He received his associate’s degree at McLennan Community College, and he is currently a bank teller. Even though he attended high school at A. J. Moore Academy (now Indian Spring Middle School), he did not necessarily experience most of downtown until recently.

“Downtown would benefit from having more hangout spots besides bars because some people don’t really enjoy bars,” Albiter said. “Or having a plaza so families can go enjoy a nice walk.”

Angeli was raised in the south Waco area near downtown. She now lives in the Sanger Heights neighborhood and has two children—one 2 year old and one 10 month old. She values the walkability of downtown because she has to travel with a toddler and a baby.

“I usually go to downtown for food or Spice Village,” Angeli says. “I’d probably go more often if there were more things for me do with the kids. I would love if there was a festival for toddlers or a place like My Little Play Palace in downtown to tire out the kids, so I can go shopping afterwards.”

Both Anthony and Angeli mentioned that having opportunities like the Waco Wonderland, Cameron Park and the food trucks are great, and there could still be more regular activities during the day for a family to enjoy.

In contrast, to Anthony and Angeli’s familial perspective, Richard and Leonor are more attracted to a downtown area with a dynamic nightlife.

Richard grew up in the North Waco neighborhood, and he currently attends Baylor University. He particularly enjoys First Fridays when businesses stay open late during the first Friday of every month. Fuentes often goes with friends to grab a drink at a bar in downtown.

“I would like to see more shops and restaurants open for business, especially during the night,” Fuentes said. “An ideal downtown Waco would be a place where you can go during a night out and enjoy the whole night with lights illuminating downtown to give people the option to walk boundlessly almost like a mini city within Waco.”

Leonor was raised in Lacy Lakeview near Waco, and she currently lives near the downtown area. She values the historic and art aspects of downtown as well as the opportunity for live music and entertainment.

“Downtown is slowly getting better with festivals and activities because each year they realize what didn’t work and what activities are getting more popular,” Campos said. “Before there were only club style bars, and now we are starting to have more live music.”

For Teresa Soto and Josh Arias it is not the businesses or restaurants offered during the day nor the bars or clubs open during the night that drew them from Hewitt to downtown — it was Pokémon Go.

“Before Pokemon Go, I wouldn’t go to downtown,” Teresa says.  “Pokemon Go brought me to downtown, which made me more comfortable going because before I didn’t see it as a safe place.”

Now after experiencing downtown, Teresa sees downtown as a nice place with food trucks, historic buildings, great restaurants, and people, so now she goes every other weekend. Her suggestion for improvement?  Make downtown more pet friendly with pet parks, and businesses and restaurants that allow pets.

For Josh, living in Hewitt means he really needs a reason to go into downtown. The food trucks and Cameron Park are great reasons to go, but downtown still needs something more to really encourage people.

“There should be more festivals and block parties with music for the community,” Josh says. “I would also love old school gaming arcades.”

Yesenia Lares-Martinez lived in Waco during her four years of high school until she moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas, but she returns to Waco regularly to visit friends. She offers an interesting perspective because she has been exposed to the downtown areas in both Austin and Waco.

“There is definitely more diversity and things to do in downtown Austin,” Lares-Martinez said. “I feel like in downtown Waco, it’s just one street that caters more to Baylor students and the middle and upper-middle class. There should be more clubs and bars catered to different identity groups.”

These Waco millennials seem most interested in developing a lively downtown area that has entertainment and activities throughout the day and night. Millennials and their wishes, however, are only part of the picture… what about high profile office buildings? Apartments and lofts? Easily accessible parking? Or stores that carry daily essentials such as groceries and supplies?

What is it that you want from Downtown Waco? Leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you have to say.

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Rolando Rodriguez Soto was raised in Waco, TX, and he is currently attending Baylor University with plans to graduate in December 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing & Rhetoric. After graduation, he hopes to work in Waco in the nonprofit sector to help realize the full potential of Waco. His long term goals include hopefully creating and publishing creative work whether that is a novel, short story or even a television show.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these Aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

 

By Rolando Rodriguez Soto

(This post is part of an on-going series about Downtown Waco.  In a sense, Downtown is “everybody’s neighborhood.”   In this series of blog posts we hope to contribute to the on-going conversation in Waco about what it takes to have a great downtown, and what we want for our own “Wacotown.”  To see all the posts in this series, click here: Downtown Waco. – ABT)

This past weekend, I invited two of my good friends to a fun night in Waco. They had never truly experienced downtown! I can’t really judge them. I have lived in Waco for about 20 years, and for most of those years, I only knew downtown as the place with the courthouse and the Alico building. My appreciation for downtown has definitely grown since I started at Baylor. For those two friends and for all Wacoans who are willing to explore the hidden treasures of downtown, I have created an introductory course – The ABC’s of Downtown Waco:

ALICO Building (425 Austin) – The ALICO Building is one of the first skyscrapers in Texas, and it remains the tallest building in Waco. I love driving on Franklin Avenue towards downtown and slowly starting to see the skyscraper peeking above the hill.

Balcones Distilling (225 S 11^th ST) – Some of the best whiskey in the world is distilled in the old Texas Fireproof Storage Building right here in downtown Waco.  Balcones received double gold medals in three different categories at the 2016 New York World Wine and Spirits Competition.

Culture & Arts – Earlier this month, the Texas Commission on the Arts approved the city of Waco’s application for a cultural district designation. Each year Wacoans celebrate culture and art in the annual Cultural Arts Festival in the fall and Art on Elm Avenue in the spring. ( Waco Cultural Arts Festival – usually last weekend in September.  Art on Elm, April 7-8, 2017.  Creative Waco. )

Dr Pepper Museum (300 S 5^th ST) – Waco is home to the oldest major manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the United States. It’s always fun exposing fellow connoisseurs of the Dr Pepper brand from out of state to the museum.

Elm Avenue – When you visit Elm Avenue, the beautiful historic buildings remind you that it was once a thriving business district before a terrible flood in 1936 overwhelmed East Waco.  My favorite is to grab a coffee and breakfast pie at Lula Jane’s (406 Elm) and then take pictures with friends around the murals and historic buildings.

Farmers’ Market (400 S. University Parks Drive) – Every Saturday morning, you can expect to find the Waco Farmers’ Market behind the old Fire Tower along the Brazos River. Strawberry and Nutella crepes by Co-Town Crepes are my preferred indulgence.

Graffiti, Murals and Art – Elm Avenue isn’t the only place with beautiful art. Some are in plain view in downtown while others will take a little more work to find. Here are a few to get you started: the Martin Luther King Jr. mural (near the Suspension Bridge), the Starry Night mural (corner of 10^th St and Columbus Avenue) and the “You Look nice today Wacotown” mural (corner of Sixth St and Washington Avenue).

Hippodrome Theatre (724 Austin Ave) – The Hippodrome is not your typical movie theatre. It comes with a complete full service in-theatre dining and a restaurant and bar overlooking Austin Avenue.  They show first run movies, but the best experience is their special movie screenings of older movie favorites. Looking forward to “Rocky Horror Picture Show” coming up in a few weeks! (October 28)

Indian Spring Park (across from the Hilton on University Parks) – As a kid, I remember when Indian Spring Park only had a few longhorns. Now there’s a herd! One thing is for certain, there are definitely more people at the park; I guess we have Pokémon Go to thank for that.

Jake’s Texas Tea House (613 Austin Ave) – In this 50’s themed restaurant, you can always find great banana pudding, and if you’re lucky Elvis and Marilyn Monroe will show up.

Kayaking and Water Activities – There are so many activities to enjoy in the Brazos River including kayaking, wake boarding, fishing or if you’re feeling fancy, you could charter a boat for a tour of the Brazos River.  (Bicycle World for canoe/kayak rentals, Waco River Charters)

Lofts – The historic lofts make the downtown living experience different than any other part of Waco. The historic Waco High campus, many factories and warehouses have all been transformed into beautiful high-end living spaces perfect for young professionals.  (Historic Lofts at Waco High – 815 Columbus Ave)

Magnolia Market (601 Webster Ave) – We can’t talk about downtown without mentioning Chip and Joanna Gaines of “Fixer Upper” fame.  No trip to Waco is complete without an obligatory selfie at the Silos.

Nightlife – Downtown Waco has an amazing nightlife with a variety of bars to choose from that all offer a unique experience such as Halftime, Trojans and Crickets. Every first Friday of the month, businesses stay open later than usual for a fun experience with live music and great food. (First Fridays)

Old Buildings – Every building in downtown has a story to tell. The best way to discover the secrets and people behind the buildings is to download the Waco History app on your phone. It allows you to read feature stories on influential people and locations in Waco as well as pinpoint every location on a map so that you can truly experience Waco’s rich past.

Parades – Waco never misses an opportunity to close the streets of downtown for a fun parade. As a kid, my parents took me to downtown to see the Baylor homecoming parade. Little did I know, I would be attending Baylor years later. (Baylor Homecoming Parade – Saturday October 15)

Quack! Quack!: Cameron Park – When I think of Cameron Park, I associate it with quacks as the ducks huddle around the bank of the Brazos River. Throughout the park, you see bikers and joggers, families barbecuing, college students playing disc golf and children laughing as they splash away the hot weather in the spray pad.

River walk: Brazos River – On one side of the river you can enjoy the beauty of Cameron Park while the other side offers Bledsoe-Miller Park and Manny’s on the River as well as Buzzard Billy’s.

Suspension Bridge – At the edge of downtown, the historic Suspension Bridge connects both sides of town. While you’re on the bridge, bring some tortillas to take your chance at tossing them onto a concrete installment isolated in the Brazos River.

Texas Food Truck Showdown – Three-dozen food trucks invade Heritage Square in the spring to determine which truck truly serves the best food Texas. If you can’t wait until April for the next showdown, you can go down Franklin Avenue on the Brazos River to try out the row of food trucks. (Third Annual Showdown – April 1, 2017)

Upscale Restaurants ­- As much as we all love our food trucks, farmers markets and fast food, downtown is also a great place to find more upscale restaurants and venues for your special event such as the Phoenix Ballroom, DiamondBack’s or Klassy Glass Wine Bar.

Vendors: Restaurants & Stores – Where’s the middle ground between fast and fancy? While you are in downtown don’t forget to visit Dichotomy, Portofino’s and the shops of River Square Center.

Waco Wonderland – Each year in Heritage Square, there is a holiday parade, ice-skating rink, Ferris wheel, carousel and you can take pictures with Santa Claus. The tree lighting is something truly magnificent. (Waco Wonderland)

Xristo’s Café (Corner of Franklin Avenue and University Parks Dr.) – Xristo’s is a one of a kind mobile café serving southern, Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine.

Youth – Downtown Waco is the perfect environment for any college student, recent graduate or young professional to live in after landing their first job.

Zoo (1701 N 4^th ST) – Lastly, while you’re in downtown, venture out a little further to reach Cameron Park Zoo. I only got to experience the zoo as a teenager and an adult, but it is still a fun time getting to see the animals and nature.

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Rolando Rodriguez Soto was raised in Waco, TX, and he is currently attending Baylor University with plans to graduate in December 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing & Rhetoric. After graduation, he hopes to work in Waco in the nonprofit sector to help realize the full potential of Waco. His long term goals include hopefully creating and publishing creative work whether that is a novel, short story or even a television show.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these Aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

 

By Rolando Rodriguez Soto

(This post is part of an on-going series about Downtown Waco.  In a sense, Downtown is “everybody’s neighborhood.”   In this series of blog posts we hope to contribute to the on-going conversation in Waco about what it takes to have a great downtown, and what we want for our own “Wacotown.”  To see all the posts in this series, click here: Downtown Waco. – ABT) 

When you hear the word “downtown,” what image pops into your head?  Is it a successful commercial district complete with subways and skyscrapers?  Is it a quaint collection of historic buildings and antique stores?  Is it a thriving strip of restaurants, trendy shops and live music venues?  Maybe the word “downtown” makes you think of concert halls, culture, and nice department stores? Or maybe the image in your mind is negative, one of boarded up buildings, graffiti, and crime.

More to the point for the purposes of this blog series, what image pops to mind when you think of Waco’s downtown? What do you like?  What would you like to see?  What would you like to see go away?  How do we even get our minds around what we want in a downtown when there are so many possibilities?

Maybe one way to think about it is to try to come up with a list of the typical elements that make up a downtown and to think about where Waco is and where we want to be in respect to those elements.   You may have your own list of elements in mind…here are a few of mine:

Residential 

Imagine waking up on a Monday morning and looking out your window to see storefronts, busy sidewalks and the ALICO building. After getting ready for the day, you go down a few flights of stairs, go next door to your favorite coffee shop to get your fix and then you walk a few more blocks to the office to start your work day.

Waco offers Some unique possibilities when it comes to downtown living. Luxurious lofts, historic buildings and apartments overlooking the Brazos river are just a few of the options.

The former Waco High School campus on Washington Ave. and the former Waco Independent School District alternative school campus were recently transformed into loft apartments that still retain the historic look. You can still find lockers and white boards in the Waco High Lofts building to remind residents of the building’s life in the 20^th century.

The redefined downtown residential life is perfect for college students, young professionals, and empty-nesters who are eager  to take advantage of a new form of living, which will breathe life into downtown.

Commercial

Business is another crucial element of a thriving downtown. In previous years, many major department stores and restaurants began moving away from downtown to be near highways or in malls. This unfortunately left downtown with deteriorating and empty storefronts, which did not exactly make living in downtown desirable.

Recently, new businesses have begun to reassess the value of a downtown. Waco currently offers restaurants, coffee shops, office space, boutiques and antique shops in its downtown space.

As we continue to expand and add more commercial opportunities, Waco will be able to generate more employment and tax revenue prospects, which will attract new residents and creative thinkers.

Amenities 

So far, you have enjoyed your relaxing apartment, your walk to work and some fun shops and restaurants in between, but now after a long day in the office, you want to go out and do something fun. A strong downtown environment should be able to offer nightlife, culture, recreational activities and community events, so that there is a reason stay in the center city.

Events or activities such as a farmer’s market, art festival, concert, block party, weekly or monthly events or a special movie screening all contribute to a fun environment where residents can expect to find one central location that features work and play.

These types of events and activities are almost expected in downtown environment. Fortunately, Waco also offers unique amenities you most likely won’t find anywhere else such as the Magnolia Market at the Silos, the Waco Hippodrome Theatre, Balcones Distillery or the Art on Elm Festival.

In a commercial district where buildings and streets take charge, it is important to recognize and appreciate nature. Fortunately, any street in downtown can lead you to the beautiful Brazos River, Indian Spring Park featuring the Suspension Bridge, or Cameron Park with its hiking trails and Cameron Park Zoo.

Transportation 

We have defined the three major elements that reflect daily life—relaxation, work and play. Now how do we connect the dots?

A major benefit of a centralized downtown location is walkability. Not only do residents have the benefit of walking from home to work or other stores, restaurants or events, but also they benefit the environment by reducing their carbon footprint.

Exploring everything downtown has to offer is more enjoyable on foot because you are able to appreciate each store front and historical piece at a slower pace.

In its current state, downtown does not have the most traversable streets and sidewalks, but the city of Waco has improved over the years through the addition of bike lanes, larger sidewalks and shuttle services.

Streets in Waco may seem simple to someone who has lived here all of their life, but to anyone else, the streets can be confusing with their oddly timed traffic lights and one way streets.

Technology is beginning to help make navigating downtown easier.  We can access bus routes and directions with our navigation apps on our phones, and we can even call a car service with another app. But, creating a pedestrian friendly environment is crucial to establishing a welcoming downtown where a Wacoan can walk from their loft to work, their favorite coffee shop, the movie theatre or the park.

Have we fully realized the potential for downtown Waco? I hope not. I hope to see downtown continue to grow and thrive.  Who knows?  Maybe one day we will even have more than one skyscraper!

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Rolando Rodriguez Soto was raised in Waco, TX, and he is currently attending Baylor University with plans to graduate in December 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing & Rhetoric. After graduation, he hopes to work in Waco in the nonprofit sector to help realize the full potential of Waco. His long term goals include hopefully creating and publishing creative work whether that is a novel, short story or even a television show.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these Aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.

 

by Megan Henderson, Executive Director, Waco Downtown Development Corporation

There are so many notions of what “good” means in relation to downtown. Some folks remember a time when the sidewalks were crowded and most of what a family needed could be – and was – purchased there. Young folks picture a place filled with hip spaces, where they and their friends would be delighted by high-end trends and nightlife. Plenty of us see small shops and restaurants beginning to multiply and Cross-fit enthusiasts running by in groups and feel pretty good about where we are right now.

I do think, though, that there is a real aspiration toward the next level – and I’d like to try to describe what that might be and look like, and what we’re all doing to help get there.

I think of the Downtown Development Corporation’s job as nurturing districts. There are several in Greater Downtown, and I love them all for different reasons, and we aspire to support and nurture all of them. But today I want to talk about the Central district, the one that’s mainly Austin Avenue with parts of Franklin and Washington. It’s the furthest along, but it’s not quite to the level when I think we will have “arrived” as a district.

In her recent visit, development consultant Michele Reeves discussed the notion of breaking through from an emerging into a transitional district in this way: when you’re a thriving transitional district, the district itself is the destination – not just a particular business.

Think of Lula Jane’s. It’s a destination business. Folks go there from all over the place. But could you name the five businesses closest to it? There’s a powerful sense of place on Elm Avenue, but there is not yet a business district that creates foot traffic from one business to another.  Now think of the 600 – 700 blocks of Austin Avenue, beginning with Sergio’s and Jake’s and ending with the Palladium and the Hippodrome. You could probably name several businesses in those two blocks, and at least once or twice (if you’re like me, that is) you’ve been to eat at Jake’s and been lured into Melange by their sidewalk sale, or walked by on your way somewhere else and seen friends going into Klassy Glass. There’s beginning to be enough interesting stuff going on within a small enough space that it spills over.

The best time, however, is often on First Friday evenings, when many businesses have special events and promotions and stay open later. This is definitely a time when the Central district can truly be its own destination for many folks – when there is enough going on for a group of friends can plan to meet at one spot to park, then figure it out from there – maybe a little shopping, dinner, music – and have confidence that they’ll have fun without a plan.

This is our aspiration for all of our districts – a time when you can say “meet me downtown,” or “meet me on Elm,” or “meet me on Colcord” and figure it out from there.

Next steps for Central district? Franklin Place, Hippodrome, Stratton and Stratton Square are all in the pipeline within a 2-block radius offering a combination of entertainment, food, and other attractions including over 100 new residences and upwards of 200 residents. In the same 2-block radius Muddle – a new watering hole and live-music venue – and thInc Space – an entrepreneurship and innovation hub where creative types work and generate cross-pollination of ideas – are new to the area and adding more ingredients and flavors to this spicy local brew.

Local developers are making these great projects happen. The Greater Waco Chamber is driving thInc Space. The Downtown Development Corporation is facilitating the Stratton development. The TIF and PID (more on them later) are supporting all of this with strategic investments in the built environment and in enhanced services and public events.

What can you do? COME ON DOWN TO DOWNTOWN. Especially on First Fridays, but every time’s important. Spend some time and money. Watch how they make coffee at Dichotomy, shop for ties at Suit City – go somewhere you’ve never been before, and think to yourself…”I just like to head downtown, and figure it out from there.”

 This week’s post was written by Megan Henderson, Executive Director of the Waco Downtown Development Corporation.  You can get in touch with her at [email protected].  To keep up with what’s happening downtown, like the Waco Downtown Development Corporation Facebook Page.