Leaders in Pflugerville are ramping up plans for projects within the city’s downtown boundaries as well as an expansion of the footprint of downtown.
Some projects are underway, such as a new city center called Downtown East, and some are still hypothetical, such as a multiphased, multimillion-dollar proposal to bury much of the older infrastructure downtown by putting it underground.
Former Deputy City Manager Trey Fletcher, who left Pflugerville April 22 to become the city administrator in West Lake Hills, said striking a balance between expansion and improvement of the existing downtown is vital.
“The core of downtown and Downtown East ... are like two feet to the same body, if you will,” Deputy City Manager Trey Fletcher said. “Downtown East represents an opportunity to catalyze the revitalization of the core downtown.”
Planning ahead
Pflugerville’s downtown development is guided by the downtown action plan, a document that outlines short-, mid-, and long-term goals and priorities for the area.
City Council originally adopted the plan in 2018, and several projects outlined in the plan have been completed since, including construction of “The Best Little Plaza in Texas,” a public space nestled between Hanovers Draught House and City Hall.
In February, City Council approved an update to the plan, establishing new goals for the next five years and beyond.
Among the immediate goals is Downtown East, a 29-acre tract of land at the northeast corner of FM 685 and East Pecan Street that will act as an extension to Pflugerville’s existing downtown.
Downtown East will be home to a new City Hall and a multi-generational recreation center with room for more additions as the development moves forward.
Council approved a $133,214 professional services agreement in January with a firm that will assist the city in establishing a budget and finding a developer for Downtown East.
The city is also in the midst of a public engagement program for the project. The first of several public meetings was held April 27 in which community members could share their thoughts and concerns on Downtown East.
Fletcher said one advantage of Downtown East is that it will provide a place for businesses that might not be a good fit for the more historic areas of downtown Pflugerville, drawing business to the area without compromising the look and feel of historic downtown.
“We want to create—we call it ‘the community’s living room,’” he said.
West Pecan Coffee + Beer owner Mary Foss said she is optimistic that Downtown East will bring more people to visit businesses located throughout downtown Pflugerville, not just those in Downtown East.
“My thoughts are just that rising tides raise all ships,” Foss said. “Having more people working downtown and ... new things for people to check out is always encouraging.”
To help facilitate travel between Downtown East and existing downtown areas, the city plans to extend Main Street eastward, running through Downtown East to connect with FM 685.
The city will determine next steps on Downtown East once the recently approved professional services agreement bears information, and movement on the Main Street extension is pending completion of a streetscape master plan.
Future endeavors
Many of the short-term goals identified in the downtown plan are information-gathering items that will help inform longer-term projects.
Among the most immediate goals is the creation of a streetscape master plan, which will pave the way for the Main Street extension as well as a handful of other proposed streetscape improvements on Railroad Avenue and Pecan Street.
“That will help us look at what our rights of way look like—not just the pavement, but also the street furniture, the landscaping, the connections at intersections and things like that,” the city’s Planning Director Emily Barron said.
Work on the streetscape master plan will begin soon and likely take the remainder of the year, Barron said.
One particularly ambitious project waiting on the results of these analyses is a $30 million project to relocate overhead utilities such as power lines underground, significantly altering the appearance of downtown.
Due to the scale of the proposed project, the city is ironing out details and identify potential sources of funding before deciding whether to take up the project.
Barron said should the city move forward with utility undergrounding for designated infrastructure, the project will likely have to be split up into several smaller phases to avoid widespread road closures.
The city has also completed several studies since 2018, including a parking study that highlighted the need for parking downtown.
The city has identified a public parking garage as one potential solution, though no concrete plans for the project exist yet.
Foss said parking is one of her highest priorities when it comes to downtown improvements.
“I think that having a parking garage and then kind of gearing downtown more toward walkability will not only look a little bit more aesthetically pleasing, but I think it will also increase business downtown,” Foss said.
Private development
While the city gears up for future projects, there are some business owners and developers in various •stages of their own projects as well.
In late spring or early summer, downtown Pflugerville will get a new locally owned brewpub in Prost Alehouse. Additionally, Adeline Bui, Hanovers Draught House owner and developer, owns the Old Gin property located just off West Pecan, directly next to El Rincon Mexican Restaurant.
In early 2020, Bui had plans to use the property for a mixed-use development she planned to call the Old Gin Pforum, but the COVID-19 pandemic put that project on hold, and now Bui said she is reconsidering how to use the land.
Bui said she would also like to find a way to work the adjacent food truck court, which she also owns, into the development.
As projects both public and private move forward in the coming months and years, Bui said she is excited to see downtown grow.
“Whatever the decision they make, I’m happy for it, because it just means downtown Pflugerville is one step closer to being fruitful,” Bui said.
