[SA Metro] Town Creek | New Braunfels | 65-Acre Urban Mixed-Use Village
 

Town Creek along with Creekside are both going to change the face of New Braunfels.

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Location:

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I love it!

I have to say this is quite a use of undeveloped land so close to the downtown of New Braunfels, Town Square.

I love rowhouses. Hopefully River North with have this style of residential.

Aren't there a couple of posters from the New Braunfels area? I'd like to know what they think of this development as well as Creekside.

If it comes to fruition, Town Creek would be a terrific development. Landa Park and "downtown" New Braunfels are both within walking distance. There are two rail lines running near the area, which would be a plus if anything ever comes of passenger rail, but right now it means you get to hear the train horns blasting at crossings into the night. Depending on the actual density of the project, traffic might be a problem, especially in the tourist season; however, all in all it looks like a great addition to the New Braunfels city center.

But has anyone heard anything on the status of the project? Absolutely nothing appears to be going on at the site; and, the only change I've seen in the last few years is an updated website. I hope they are not waiting on the Austin-San Antonio commuter line to develop -- that may be a pipedream at this point.

Creekside, on the other hand, appears to be more like the frontage road retail sprawl one sees on the fringes of Austin and San Antonio. That ocean of parking reminds me of the outlet mall in San Marcos.

There isn't any frontage road retail sprawl in Austin.

Ha ha. There's plenty of frontage-road retail sprawl in Austin, unfortunately, but at least not on 360.

This project appears to be alive. Check out the "news" section of the website. It sounds like they've started on Phase 1 and 2. Anyone have more information on this? Are there enough non-tourists in New Braunfels to fill this development?

http://www.towncreektexas.com/

EDIT: Construction has begun on the initial phase:

"Construction already has begun on the initial phases of Town Creek, which sits in an oddly vacant space in between Landa Street and Walnut Avenue, bordered by the Dry Comal Creek.

Its plans include residential and possible commercial properties, all linked by new connections from Fredericksburg Road to Walnut and Academy Avenue"

SOURCE: http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lass...c76921296ef38f

From looking at the second pdf, it looks like they're still trying to figure out funding mechanisms? :shrug:

NB is over 50k people now, but it may take a few more years of growth (both population and gas prices) before you see a real demand for development like this. Its definitely cool that there are people there with this kind of thing in mind, though.

EDIT: Just read your edit, SALaw1 :tup:

Thanks for the update !

I just about always make a side trip to New Braunfels when I visit my brother in San Marcos.

That Town Creek development looks really nice and walkable, if they can pull it off.

The "opposite" future for development of New Braunfels is a proposed 40-mile highway loop, which would probably precipitate all manner of suburban
stuff.

The Creekside Town Center development link:
http://www.newbraunfelstowncenter.com/masterplan.html
Its location on the northern side of town is interesting, as San Marcos is growing south (new conference center opening this fall probably the single most visible example) at the same time that New Braunfels is growing north.
The new shopping center in San Marcos (StoneCreek Crossing : http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/st...16/story3.html ) is like 10 miles from New Braunfels' Town Center at Creekside, and each has announced a similar list of retail anchors.

Any updates on this project.

I like it!

A San Antonio to New Braunfels line either heavy rail or light rail needs to get down.

heavy rail=too expensive, especially for SA market. light rail is definitely the way to go. if the Austin-SA commuter rail gets going that's 2 rail links to NB.

Heavy rail using existing lines wouldn't be tremendously expensive.

Update.

Site work has started on phase I. I believe the residential portion of Creekside is also close to beginning construction, but I don't have a source handy.

From the Herald-Zeitung;

"First phase of Town Creek to start this year
By Gerard MacCrossan

Published September 3, 2008

Site work on phase one of the Town Creek development should have progressed far enough by December to start building work.

Developers Trace Jurica and David Wolthers said Tuesday that the initial phase of the project has been slightly delayed by recent rain, but work on several types of buildings — both residential and mixed use — is slated to begin by December.

“Right now, we’re working on streets and utilities for phase one — mostly houses, town houses, and live-work arrangements,” Jurica said.

Utilizing new urbanism development principals, Town Creek is planning to mix different residential options and commercial development in the same neighborhood.

The initial 16 acres has space for 45 residential lots and a hike and bike trail along Dry Comal Creek.

According to Jurica, two builders — Plum Creek Homes of Kyle and Jurica builders, operated by Trace’s brother and father — will build in the first phase of Town Creek.

The developers envision building out Town Creek — located in an open tract bordered by Walnut Street, the Union Pacific train tracks and the Dry Comal Creek — and connecting it to downtown with a bridge to Academy Street. The bridge plan has drawn opposition, particularly from Academy residents who fear it would open up their street as a thoroughfare to Interstate 35. The City Council recently dropped Academy from the thoroughfare plan, and the Town Creek developers have said they want a narrow bridge that will provide access from their development but won’t be conducive to other traffic.

“What we keep hearing over and over is it’s all about the bridge,” Jurica said. “That’s something we feel strongly about as well as other people. We think there’s a way to proceed.”

Wolthers said the Town Creek development is planned for several phases that will take time to build and the project isn’t being rushed.

“The project will be developed in small increments over the next six to eight years. We are in it for the long haul,” he said.

The bridge and a connection to Town Creek across the railway tracks were rendered moot as part of a tax increment reinvestment zone for Town Creek and a large part of downtown New Braunfels. Currently, the TIRZ proposal is back with Town Creek for revision.

“There is some work to do based on some of the feedback we received a couple of months ago,” Jurica said. “There still are some loose ends we have to work out before bringing it back. We’d like to see it going again this month.”

New Braunfels City Manager Mike Morrison said Tuesday the TIRZ plan is back with the developers and the city has no active role at this time.

“We are waiting on them,” he said. “If they submit something, we’ll review it and make a recommendation to the City Council.”

Jurica said he hopes to see a decision on the TIRZ in the coming months.

“If it is not approved by Dec. 31 of the year you are working in, you start talking about the increment in next year’s tax base,” he said. “We definitely want to push for a decision by the end of this year.”

For more information, visit the Town Creek Web site at www.towncreektexas.com.

New Braunfels downtown master plan update, 9/5/08 :
http://herald-zeitung.com/story.lass...7403VuJ43BBF43

Get that SA-NB commuter line up and running damn it!

Come on.

With the rapid growth of Schertz and Cibolo (I was just out there this past Sunday and for a Sunday the traffic was crazy! Also, the housing construction is non-stop and everywhere) a line that connected downtown SA with Schertz/Cibolo and then New Braunfels would be fantastic.