ReIsNc "There's a going on in downtown Conroe, and it's attracted investors." FRANK ROBINSON, CONROE DOWNTOWN MANAGER
multimillion-dollar building projects, Robinson said some projects in the plan, such as pedestrian work on Met- calf Street and building a performing arts center, will be long term. The planned performing arts cen- ter will be at the former Walter P. Jett Center in Conroe, which was bought by the city for $4.2 million, with a plan for renovations expected to be presented to City Council in the sum- mer, Robinson said. “That was a big deal and a real step in the right direction now to try and create a venue that sees all the di er- ent disciplines we’ll have where they can have o ces,” he said. “It’s visual arts. All the di erent folks, sculptors and artists and so on.” In addition, City Engineer Tommy Woolley said the city is working with the Federal Emergency Manage- ment Agency and Texas Department of Transportation on enhancing the ood plain green space in the center of the arts and honors district down- town with landscaping and having an appropriate slope and drainage. The downtown plan states the ood plain and green space will cost the city an estimated $1.4 million, and the space will provide stormwa- ter relief when necessary. Woolley
businesses, including Fass Brewery, Main Street Merchants, Dragon Bowl C Noodle Bar, The Ferm Meadery and 202 Main, have all opened in the past few years. The new businesses have continued to ll in downtown with things other than government build- ings and law o ces, he said. “You can ll a whole weekday [in downtown] now I feel like, or week- end,” McIntyre said. Robert Sokulski, the owner of multiple buildings downtown, such as the MoCo Food Hall build- ing and the building encompassing 202-210 N. Main St., said although restaurants and entertainment now o er a better variety downtown, he believes downtown is still missing retail and residential spaces. “We already have the theaters; we have the live music; we have bars, restaurants. … Retail was lacking,” Sokulski said in an interview. “So that’s one thing I’d like to see more of, but we also need to have more down- town living.” Jishnu Nair contributed to this report.
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said the city is also working to nish projects started before he was city engineer, with the addition of pavers on the sidewalk, streetlights and put- ting power lines underground already complete. The nal phase of putting all the power and dry and wet utilities underground in three alleyways will have bids out in the summer. “These are things you should consider doing if you want to make [downtown] a better place and maybe you want to create people spaces and you want to create good living experi- ences, entertainment experiences and so on,” Woolley said. The downtown plan also outlines changing the character of Metcalf Street, including adding multifamily housing, retail and a parking garage at
the Owen Theatre parking lot. It states that urban development on Metcalf would increase the demand for local shopping, dining and entertainment. Robinson said the Owen Theatre park- ing lot project has been bid out and is in negotiations, but Metcalf retail and residential development will be a long-term project. “I see a lot of potential [on Metcalf], but that’s probably a longer-term project and may involve the Owen Theatre parking lot,” Robinson said. New businesses In addition to long-standing busi- nesses such as Red Brick Tavern and Paci c Yard House, Seth McIntyre— partner of the MoCo Food Hall set to open in early summer—said many new
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CONROE MONTGOMERY EDITION • JUNE 2022
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