BY CHLOE YOUNG
The cost
The impact
“In ve to 10 years, I think we will see enormous potential for commercial growth along that corridor.” RANDALL MALIK, DIRECTOR OF
The city of Leander has seen the Hero Way and RM 2243 corridor explode with economic growth, welcoming new commercial, retail and warehouse developments, said Randall Malik, the city’s director of economic development. Plans to develop the roadway have already attracted many new developers and employers to the area, Malik said. Future projects coming online include a Home Depot; a 1.3-million-square-foot industrial warehouse space that will house large employers; as well as a new hotel, event center and Big Air trampoline park by ARS Developers. The availability of undeveloped land and proximity to I-35 have created an unparalleled economic opportunity for the city, Brandt said. Access to major roadways is a main factor many companies consider when deciding where to locate their business, she said. “It is such a wide-open opportunity that does not
County o cials said they spent years acquiring $100 million worth of right of way from about 60 landowners along the corridor. The majority of this funding comes from the county’s $412 million road bond package in 2019. “There’s not a county that I know of in the country that is as proactive as we are in transportation,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey said at a Jan. 29 groundbreak- ing ceremony. U.S. Rep. John Carter of Williamson County helped secure $20 million in federal funding to construct the project, Long said.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF LEANDER
exist anywhere else near us,” Brandt said. “I think you have an opportunity to see some really big-scale unique o erings in that vicinity [near Leander].” Although Georgetown has not seen as much commercial development along the road, the city has issued more than 1,400 permits for new homes in the Parkside on the River subdivision over the last decade, according to city of Georgetown data. This spring, the city is slated to complete its second phase of improvements at Garey Park, including an expanded event center, amphithe- ater, an 18-hole disc golf course and skate park.
Project funding breakdown Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Williamson County Federal government City of Leander
Design
Stay tuned
$2M
Design work is underway for Phase 2—the construction of a second frontage road from 183A Toll and Ronald Reagan Boulevard. This year, the county will begin designing the continuation of the rst frontage road from Garey Park to Southwest Bypass for Phase 1B. Phase 3 will include the construction of the highway’s main lanes. “We’re going to see real progress very soon,” Long said.
Utility relocations along Hero Way will begin this year, while the majority of roadwork will not occur until next year, according to county information. No lane closures are anticipated, while some tra c may be shifted onto short-term driving surfaces, known as temporary pavement. Years of ongoing construction could temporarily impede some tra c at existing businesses, Brandt said.
Construction
$2M $8M
$30M
$20M
Right of way
$100M
$14M
$86M
SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMUNITY IMPACT
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LEANDER LIBERTY HILL EDITION
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