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Consultants map downtown expansion: new core area, university district and public spaces
Summary
The downtown small‑area plan draft recommends expanding the downtown core west of Sidney Baker, creating a university district adjacent to Schreiner University, adding several urban plazas and river access points, and improving multimodal crossings of state highways through targeted public‑realm investments.
Consultants presented a conceptual framework for an expanded downtown that pushes the pedestrian‑oriented core west of Sidney Baker and creates a “university district” adjacent to Schreiner University.
Why it matters: The draft downtown framework identifies redevelopment catalyst sites, public‑realm investments and mobility corridors that would guide future private projects and city capital investments in downtown over the next 10–25 years.
Key elements: The plan identifies primary redevelopment catalyst sites (larger redevelopment parcels such as the entertain‑mart site and other underused lots), and secondary infill sites. Consultants proposed character areas: an expanded downtown core, a commercial corridor along Sidney Baker, supporting development zones, a transition zone with potential for mid‑rise buildings (up to about five stories in some locations), and a university district that could include incubator and light‑flex space to connect students to downtown businesses.
Public‑realm ideas include several new urban plazas spread across the expanded core (one on the west side of Sidney Baker near the entertain‑mart site, one at the courthouse/frontage area in coordination with the county, and a larger plaza near the fire station block that could anchor the university district). Consultants emphasized completing downtown sidewalks, adding riverfront trail connections, and locating primary multimodal corridors where the city should concentrate sidewalks, bike lanes and pedestrian safety investments. They also highlighted a long alley in the university district as an alley‑activation opportunity.
Consultants noted constraints where state routes (TxDOT rights‑of‑way) bisect downtown; those crossings will require enhanced intersection investments for pedestrian safety. The team said the downtown plan will be refined with more actions and implementation detail in the next project phase.
Ending: CPAC members generally praised the framework and asked staff to coordinate implementation tools — incentives, shared parking approaches and targeted public investments — so private redevelopment and public projects reinforce each other.
