Austin Avenue is a centrally located Waco road that brings not only popular eateries and shops to the community, but also serves as a part of Waco's rich history.
The community has several homes in which the Texas Historic Commission deemed as architecturally significant. Even the Castle Heights area on Austin Avenue applied for historical designation by the Texas State Historic Commission.
Austin Avenue was also home to the brief Pedestrian Mall, an attempt to bring consumers back to downtown with an exclusive mall that promoted foot traffic.
The mall was completed in 1970, costing nearly $850,000 to build. The project was opened to high expectations, but was faced with discouragement by consumers, ultimately failing due to a lack of pedestrian traffic.
Austin Avenue was also affected by the destructive tornado of 1953. The tornado claimed 114 lives and injured over 600, damaging several buildings downtown. The tornado was listed as having been an F5, with winds up to 260 miles per hour and nearly one third of a mile wide.
Austin Avenue was also showcased in the 2011 film "Tree of Life." The film is a drama directed by Terrence Malick, a native to Waco and follows the story of the story of a Central Texas family and the meaning of life by one character's childhood memories.
Austin Avenue is unique to Waco and to Central Texas as a whole.
There's much to choose from, including restaurants, a movie theatre, trading stores, and coffee to keep you moving. News Channel 25 will be featuring a business located on Austin Avenue in this community series!
Copyright 2017 KXXV. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2017 KXXV. All rights reserved.
