Government
BY ZACHARIA WASHINGTON
Christian Kurtz aims to bring ‘smart growth’ to Liberty Hill in new role The city of Liberty Hill announced Christian Kurtz as its new director of economic develop- ment in early July following the retirement of Mary Poche’. He will oversee the Liberty Hill Economic Development Corporation, which is an organiza- tion committed to the city’s growth as well as any projects the LHEDC manages. What is your previous experience? I have spent the last 12 years in the city of Pflugerville, and I’ve had various roles in the Community Development Corporation over there. Having worked in the region for quite awhile, you get to know your partner cities. I’ve always been very interested in watching the growth in Liberty Hill and what the city has to offer. When the position came open, it just was the right time. The city has grown incredibly fast and will continue to grow fast, and I’m just excited to be part of helping bring smart growth into the city. What is the biggest challenge facing Liberty Hill when it comes to economic development? It’s the rapid growth that has happened out in this area and the challenges that brings. Infrastruc- ture is always going to be No. 1—having enough infrastructure to bring in the companies, the businesses, the houses, the living. The lifestyle is already here, but [we need to maintain] sustain- able businesses out here that really help [and] are good fits for the character of Liberty Hill.
Liberty Hill’s targeted industries for economic development
Advanced manufacturing
Niche retail
Architecture, engineering, landscape and design
Hospitality
Defense and cybersecurity
Health care
Specialty distribution
Bioscience
SOURCE: LIBERTY HILL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
times, it is so easy to miss the downtown, because people think their view of Liberty Hill is all Hwy. 29. This gem is hidden, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to stay that way. What is your vision for Liberty Hill in the years to come? I would say Liberty Hill doesn’t want to be like any other city. Liberty Hill wants to be a unique, vibrant community that is a job center that sup- ports the lifestyle of the citizens. One of the things I like to remind everybody is economic development is meant to lift all boats. So that means making sure that every citizen is served by that growth.
How does city staff hope to retain the businesses already downtown while revitalizing the area and possibly bringing in new businesses? One thing the city really doesn’t have any con- trol over is the rising costs of property. That’s an economic effect. When the city was smaller, you would see it was easier and probably cheaper for the mom and pops to open up. It happens every- where, in every city I can think of, including the one that I worked at before. As the property values go up, it’s really hard for the mom and pops to keep up. Especially if there’s any kind of struggle like COVID-19, [which] presented a problem—an interruption to the economy in general, but [also] the economics of small downtowns. I think the [city’s] plan is mostly to attract people back to downtown and create a vibrant downtown that includes programming. As a person who’s driven through Liberty Hill many, many, many
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. For a longer version, visit communityimpact.com .
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LEANDER - LIBERTY HILL EDITION
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