This week's bulletin is being released a few days earlier than usual, since yours truly will be on a mission trip in Guatemala next week and away from my computer.

 

I want to say THANK YOU again to all my fellow Rotarians who gave a financial gift to help cover my travel expenses, and to all those who are covering me and the other volunteers in prayer. I look forward to sharing photos and stories of the families we helped and the projects we finished when I'm back in the States!

 

 

Contrary to its name, the neighborhood known as Old Town is a hub of new development in Lewisville, according to Christina Williams, the city's Economic Development Manager and guest speaker at last week’s club meeting.

 

The Economic Development Department is small but mighty, Williams said, proudly. Led by Economic Director Marichelle Samples, the four-person team works diligently to strategize growth initiatives and keep stakeholders in the loop on current and upcoming projects designed to make Lewisville a more attractive place to live, work, and play. When Williams joined the department in 2014, the city was heavily focused on attracting businesses and undertaking commercial development projects. Now, initiatives are geared more toward business redevelopment, workforce development, and business retention and expansion, she said.

 

The shift aims to meet the needs of Lewisville's younger residential demographic. While the city's population has grown to 133,304, the median age is only 33.6, Williams noted, necessitating the expansion of retail and entertainment opportunities, as well as easy access to public transportation for commuting. Also included in the nine “big moves” in the Lewisville Vision 2025 plan are the construction of more residential spaces in Old Town, such as new single family townhomes and the Aura apartments.

Old Town is the urban core of Lewisville and has undergone a transformation in the past decade, including construction of the Lewisville Grand Theater and Wayne Ferguson Plaza, and the addition of art installations in public spaces throughout the area. Among the new developments currently underway are a transit-oriented development plan and a fresh vision for the Mill Street Corridor.

“The big three projects are Main & Mill Lofts, Old Town Station, and the Mill at Old Town,” which will add 830 residential units, Williams said. Main & Mill Lofts and Old Town Station both will feature restaurant and retail components, she noted. In addition, a new three-story building, called Deck on Main, going in at the corner of Charles & Church will feature retail and restaurant space at street level, office space on the second floor, and event space on the third floor. Meanwhile, construction on 97 single-family craftsman style homes at Legacy Pointe is nearly complete. Initiatives to support higher traffic volumes and connectivity with the DART trains are happening in tandem with the residential development projects, Williams said.

 

She closed with news hot off the press, announcing the construction of a boutique hotel at the corner of Main & Mill, which will have a bar/restaurant on the ground floor. For more information about current and upcoming projects, visit the web page for the Economic Development Department at ecodevlewisville.com.

If you want credit for a make-up, contact LNR Membership chair Terry Russell to let him know when and where you attended another Rotary club meeting, or the date and service activity that you participated in to count as a make up. You have two weeks before and two weeks after a missed meeting to make up for your absence. Make-ups are a great way to meet Rotarians from other clubs and become more engaged with the outreach activities we do in the local community!