Downtown Core
Remove overhead utilities Drainage improvements Enhance physical infrastructure
Civic Plaza
RENDERING COURTESY KIMLEY-HORN
CASTELL AVE.
Bollards blocking off street traffic for events Proposed screen or stage
Greenery Outdoor seating Food Truck Zone
Neighborhood mixed
Neighborhood mixed
2022
2023
2025
2026
Pedestrian sidewalks Landscape and parking zones
October: The bond advisory committee approves preliminary funding for drainage and infrastructure improvements.
January: City Council finalizes bond projects and calls for an election. May: Bond election
Construction is finalized, and Union Pacific relocates from its downtown property.
Drainage construction on the Castell corridor is estimated to be completed.
35
Phase 1 construction
N
MAP NOT TO SCALE
Physical infrastructure to enhance safety and pedestrian experience
Street reconstruction Transfer utilities underground Extensive drainage improvements
The Civic Plaza section of the project, from West Coll Street to Jahn Street, is anticipated to cost over $14 million with plans to develop an outdoor event space adjacent to the Civic Center. The preliminary design plans include bollards—columns that can be raised from the ground—to close off the roadway for events. A food truck zone and an area for a stage or screen have also been proposed. Additionally a one- lane roundabout is planned for the Jahn Street and Castell Avenue intersection. The last section of the project—dubbed Neighbor- hood Mixed—is projected to cost over $11 million and includes the area from Jahn Street to the South I-35 frontage road. Improvements planned in the rede- sign for the predominantly residential portion of the project include creating uninterrupted sidewalks for pedestrians, and adding landscaping and parking zones. The street is not compliant with the American with Disabilities Act. Long-term vision The city anticipates the project will act as a catalyst for downtown development and has the potential for
over $100 million in investments. In the long-term preliminary plan developed by the city, the vision is to expand the Civic Center and incorporate a hotel space. Additional parking facilities would be built in the area to allow for additional downtown parking, and residential and retail buildings may be built on the property used by Union Pacific. Jonathan Packer, President & CEO of the Greater New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce, said the project does not have a definitive timeline, but once completed, it will ultimately provide more opportunities for businesses downtown to be suc- cessful and encourage economic development that provides new amenities and improves quality of life for residents. “From a chamber perspective, it’s a high-priority project. And the quicker we can move on major mile- stones, the better,” Packer said. On Oct. 18, during the GNBCC 2022 State of the City address, New Braunfels City Manager Robert Camareno highlighted the growth taking place in New Braunfels. If growth rates continue, by 2034
nearly 87% of developable land will be used in the incorporated areas of the city. “I think that must change the way we start to plan for the future,” Camareno said during the state of the city presentation. “Start to rethink how we position ourselves for some of that growth that still needs to occur and the redevelopment in some areas that will also occur.” Packer said it is imperative to invest in the core of downtown to have the ability to guide the significant growth anticipated to continue in the region. “Projections are that the city will have little to no developable land by 2035 [if] current rates of devel- opment continue,” Packer said. “So that’s why proj- ects like the South Castell project are so important.”
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NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION • NOVEMBER 2022
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