That’s what happened to Belton after Sparta Road was extended from Commerce Street to Main Street in 2002. It is something city leaders say they hope happens again downtown.
“It was absolutely essential for opening up the area between Loop 121 and (Texas) 317,” said Belton Mayor Jim Covington. “It’s been an absolute boom to development out there.”
Since the extension of Sparta Road, Wal-Mart and several other retailers have moved into the area, making it the busiest part of town, and a second wave of new development is under way to the north.
The old downtown area around the historic Bell County Courthouse provides a striking contrast to the new growth around Sparta Road. Within a few blocks of the courthouse a handful of storefronts are available for sale or lease.
Some in the community perceive these vacancies as created by lawyers and bail bondsman following the courthouse out to Loop 121, but city leaders say this perception is unfounded.
“It’s true that part of the court system has been relocated but go drive the new justice complex and show me where the attorneys and bail bondsmen have moved to,” said Mike Beevers, co-chairman of a city preservation committee. “The one new company out there is from Killeen, I think. There just has not been any mass exodus of attorneys and bail bondsmen from downtown.”
City Manager Sam Listi said he sees the old downtown area as an opportunity - a positive not a negative.
“There is definitely a transition in land use going on right now downtown,” he said. “We expect more retail and service business downtown in the future.”
Rather than sit back and hope for businesses to move back downtown, Belton has been aggressive in making the area appealing to business owners.
The city has developed a five-year tax abatement program that allows a property owner to avoid the impact of city and county taxes on the value of improvements made to a property. During the past year Belton Feed and Supply and the Beltonian Theater have taken advantage of this program.
A façade improvement grant is also available for businesses in the downtown area. The grant provides $10,000 to owners who renovate building faces, something the owners of the Beltonian have taken advantage of as work to restore the theater into a family dinner theater continues.
“These tools are in place for an entrepreneur to come in and take advantage of the opportunities in downtown Belton,” Listi said.
The city has also created a tax increment reinvestment zone that allows for property taxes collected downtown to be spent in the downtown area on improvements like streets and utilities.
In addition to the incentives already in place, the city is in the planning stages of making Central Avenue the “front door” on Interstate 35 to its historic center. If the plans come to fruition, Central will have a median with bricks, landscaping and antique lighting accenting the street.
This median would not create a new road, but would enhance what is already in place, similar to what leaders hope entrepreneurs eventually do downtown.
“It’s our intention to open up and draw attention to downtown with a dramatic new entrance feature,” Covington said. “I would hope the economic impact would be similar to the Sparta Road project.”
Meanwhile as the city works on this project, Beevers said he expects this fall to announce a new retail-type business downtown in the Schiguts Department Store building.
sshaffer@temple-telegram.com
