P ugerville’s vision for a new downtown From the cover
Two-minute impact
Downtown East Plan Phase 1 After Phase 1, six additional parcels of land are available for development in the next phase.
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29-acre site
The Puger Tract—a 29-acre site northwest of the Pecan Street and FM 685 intersection—will house the Downtown East development. The city of Pugerville intends for the project to be a community hub, with public amenities that cater to residents. Phase 1 of the project will include a multigenerational recreation center, designed to serve people of all ages and abilities, as well as a new city hall, a central green area and a plaza. Developer Gri n Swinerton is the master developer for the project, as well as the private partner to the city. “City leadership—working with City Council— thought maybe we could maximize the colocation of the facilities together, and leverage private- partnership dollars and potentially other funding sources,” Parks and Recreation Director Shane Mize said. The Pugerville Community Development Corporation also dedicated $50 million to the total project, to be paid out over the next 30 years.
Recreational center
Civic plaza
City Hall
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Zooming in
The speci cs
Rec center snapshot
139,215 total square feet $82.5 million cost , funded by general obligation and certicate of obligation bonds
The civic plaza will include outdoor gathering spaces, a stage for performances, a promenade and access to future retail and dining. With a lawn, garden and nature play, the 1-acre plaza will allow for outdoor programming from the recreation center. City plans show costs for the plaza include infrastructure and parking struc- tures for Downtown East, and total $53 million-$56 million. Certicate of obligation bonds and November 2020 voter-approved bonds support this portion of the project. The PCDC also allocated $600,000 to the civic plaza out of its community and quality-of-life project budget. Kelsey Black, a Pugerville resident and owner of the Book Burrow, feels like the current city infrastructure doesn’t meet the needs of the community. She looks forward to Downtown East as more than just the recreation center and city hall. “I’m excited about all of the projects that Downtown East is intended for,” Black said “There will be a space for festivals, pedes- trian walks and basically everything that a good downtown needs, and I cannot wait to be a part of this history.”
The idea for the multigenerational recreation center was conceived after the city conducted a feasibility study to determine how to better serve the community, Mize said. The study showed that the city needs 1 square foot of a recreation facility per person. The current Pugerville Recreation Center is about 23,000 square feet, while the 2023 population was 65,162, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. “Twenty years ago, when we had about 20,000 or 30,000 people, that was the right size for that community,” Mize said. “We have obviously outgrown it.” Daniel Sheppard, a Pugerville resident, said he has also noticed a lack of activities at the current facility for his elderly mother, who moved to the city two years ago. “She tried to explore the community center, but it didn’t really have anything for her,” Shepard said. At right under 140,000 square feet, the new recreation center will provide activities and programming specically for children, teens and older adults, including a kids zone, esports lounge and pickleball court. “It’ll allow this community to grow into it, and we think it’s going to be an incredible
Features include:
Construction schedule:
First oor: child care center, indoor turf, eight courts, pool, retail space
Preconstruction began July 2024
Construction will begin in February 2025
Second oor: open tness area with free weights and aerobic machines, track
Construction will be complete in November 2026
Third oor: community space, 300-person multiuse space, smaller classrooms for cooking or art classes, an outdoor patio
SOURCE: CITY OF PFLUGERVILLECOMMUNITY IMPACT
quality-of-life spot,” Mize said. Residents in and outside of the city limits will have access to the facility. There will be a fee for entry, which Mize said will not be a barrier to access and is comparative to surrounding areas.
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