2% of Round Rock ...

[Rose Red]

Originally Posted by Jenbar

How could you live in RR and NOT know?



UNfortunately?? Making a "city center" more walkable is what most towns should strive for. Bring locally owned shops to it's core, have a place for families to safely walk around - parks, restaurants, locally owned businesses.... it's a GOOD thing and responsible growth! Right now, the "city center" is basically dead. Preserving it (they aren't planning on bulldozing it), bringing it back, and making it more attractive for people to visit, and businesses to prosper is not an "unfortunately".

I said I heard a "rumor". I don't know for a fact if it's going to be preserved and I don't know what the exact changes are. If what you say is true. Great. I don't think the center is dead though. I see cars parked downtown. I've had dinner downtown so have my friends..

[jwb123]

Yes, it's pretty much dead - which is why consumer businesses have had problems surviving there. I am not saying that people don't go to The Main Street Grill, Juniors, Lousianna Longhorn Cafe, etc - I can say I have been to a few of those places too, but a handful of places with people in them doesn't make for a vibrant downtown. I wouldn't say these places are packed, by any stretch.

The cars that are parked there are for the offices. City of Round Rock utility buildings, library etc - not really revenue generating consumer properties.

City of RR officials recently took trips to other states with cities similar to RR and studied what they are doing right, and how to implement it here in RR... they see the problems too, which is why they are working towards making it more walkable, etc.

[TexasHorseLady]

I don't know about the other places, but every time I've been there, Louisiana Longhorn has been packed and finding a place to park has involved doing some driving around the blocks a few times.

Not saying that it couldn't improve, but it looks to me like they're working on it and it's not dead, by any means.

It does already seem pretty pedestrian-friendly, though.

[jwb123]

Well, the city of RR would beg to differ with you.... this is where I get my information, reading minutes from council meetings, etc.... I'm not just making it up.

[love roses]

I think this downtown revitalization in Williamson County is an all encompassing thing with several towns. I know Taylor is trying to do some work on theirs. Hutto wants to, so I can see RR doing some things too. Georgetown just had their courthouse redone too. I'm sure it's got a lot to do with the freeway too. People exit the freeway, but don't go to much past the feeder roads. I can't remember how many times even here I've heard "I drove down I35 to Round Rock or Georgetown and it was nothing but flat and big box stores.". Most people don't take the time to actually venture too far off the main road anymore and I know that is a nationwide problem. I know before we left Colorado there were several towns trying to figure out ways to lure people off of I 70 and I 25 so they could see what the actual heart of a place was.

[TexasHorseLady]

That's true. Taylor, for example, got a lot of money for refurbishing of their historical district, and that can't have escaped the notice of other city councils.