WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Developers and city staff were back in the city council this month with an update regarding Waco's Downtown Redevelopment Project. The city says the project is on track timeline and budget, and the design of Phase 1A is nearly halfway finished.
- Mobilize Waco recently met with the city and developers to discuss the Downtown Redevelopment Project and how it will be accessible for people with disabilities.
- The city will have a booth inside Waco’s Winter Wonderland Experience on December 7 to answer questions.
- The city released new renderings, designs, and videos of the plans for the project.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
If anyone knows the importance of accessibility and advocating for it—it's Donna Dill.
"Accessibility makes things easier for everyone, but for someone with a disability, accessibility means you can or can't go," Donna Dill said. "It's not just a question of whether it is easier. It's a question of total access."
Donna Dill is a member of the local non-profit Mobilize Waco. The group recently met with the city and developers to discuss the downtown redevelopment project as it approaches finishing half of the design for Phase 1A.
"We got to see the maps and the plans and everything, and it's going to be beautiful," Donna said. "It's certainly exciting to see that city leadership has an eye for the future and in the planning that it's going to be accessible to everyone. People with different kinds of disabilities will be able to enjoy it, along with everyone else in the community."
Since the city is still in the project's design phase, they say now is the best time to give feedback so they can make changes.
"We're very excited for this particular project to be included in the planning stages because it's much easier to make adjustments and consider things on the planning side than it is after the fact," Dill said.
The following steps for downtown redevelopment include permitting, which the city is already preparing for. Bidding for street and utility construction is expected to happen in mid-2025. Waco's Director of Strategic Initiative, Tom Balk, said they are on track with their timeline and budget.
"We're heading into the holiday season, but the project doesn't slow down," Balk said. "So how do we make sure we're being as efficient and accommodating as possible to try to reach
Tom encourages those with questions or feedback to attend a design open house at the Chamber of Commerce on Friday, December 6, just before the Christmas Tree Lighting at Heritage Square.
