In September 2005, the first edition of Community Impact Newspaper shipped to mailboxes in the cities of Round Rock and Pflugerville. At the time, publisher John Garrett wrote:
“Our mission is clear: to provide Round Rock and Pflugerville residents and business owners with a free monthly publication. One that is full of news and information that impacts their lives, business and community.”
At the time, Community Impact Newspaper covered Round Rock and Pflugerville. Ten years later it reaches nearly 1.5 million mailboxes in 31 cities throughout the Austin, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Houston metro areas. To celebrate the decade milestone, Community Impact Newspaper is looking at a few of the stories the newspaper wrote about in the first year and the ways the cities have changed.
2005
In September 2005, most readers did not have access to the information of where area toll roads were being built and how much they would cost, said John Garrett, founder and publisher of Community Impact Newspaper.
“More importantly, many local businesses along these roads weren’t even sure where the entrance and exit ramps were going to be, which is a very important concern for local business access,” Garrett said.
Garrett said he went to the toll road office off Wells Branch Parkway and drew every entrance and exit ramp by hand based off of a huge wall map in the engineering department.
“This was before we could easily pull up satellite images on our phone, so we had to buy the rights to a large satellite image and then on our old Mac Mini we had to hand-place every arrow over the map,” he said. “It took all night for our original graphic designer, Patty Smith, and I to place all of these arrows.”
Garrett said the readers loved it and expressed through emails, phone calls and in person how much they appreciated this information.
“This map put Community Impact Newspaper on the map for local news for our readers,” he said.
2015
Now: Tollways have increased regional transportation options, economic viability
The Texas Department of Transportation held ribbon cuttings for Loop 1, SH 45 N and SH 130 segments 1 and 2 in December 2006. Round Rock Mayor Alan McGraw said in 2015 they have made regional mobility much more viable in the area.
“One of the biggest transportation issues we have is a regional transportation system,” McGraw said. “The tolls have done a fantastic job in making [regional transportation] in many cases easier. For example, I can get to the airport faster here [in Round Rock] than many people in West Austin.”
Pflugerville Mayor Jeff Coleman said the toll roads “fundamentally” changed the city.
“[SH 130 and SH 45 N] opened a retail shopping sector for us that didn’t exist prior to the tolls being built,” Coleman said. “Which is now the economic engine driving our commercial sector.”
McGraw said the toll roads have helped economic development in Round Rock.
“Take a company like Emerson that [has] thousands of visitors, and tell them how easy it is to get to and from the airport,” McGraw said. “That’s a big economic selling point.”
2005
The second front-page story of Community Impact Newspaper’s first edition was about the retail and health care destinations that were coming to Chandler Road, what is now University Boulevard.
In September 2005, Simon Property Group had announced its intention to build the Round Rock Premium Outlets just two months before. In August 2005 Swedish retailer IKEA announced its plans to build a location across the street from the outlets.
Also at the time, Scott & White Hospital-Round Rock and Seton Medical Center Williamson were more than a year away from completion.
Community Impact Newspaper wrote, “The positive consequences for Round Rock and Pflugerville are both immediate and far reaching. More than 2,000 jobs will be created and the property tax and sales tax base will be increased.”
2015
Now: University Boulevard exceeds early expectations
Not only have IKEA, Round Rock Premium Outlets and the two hospitals opened on the corridor, but in more recent years multiple shopping centers, an H-E-B and a Bass Pro Shops & Outdoor World have all also opened along the corridor.
“All I can say is wow,” McGraw said. “We knew [University Boulevard] had possibilities. But if you look up and down University, what’s there now wasn’t there 10 years ago. It has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations.”
McGraw said the destination retail has had a “huge” economic impact on the city.
“On the downside it would not be accurate to say [development] hasn’t had a transportation impact,” McGraw said. “Which is why we’re spending millions to improve [the corridor] and the state has been spending millions to improve it.”
The city has plans to widen a section of University Boulevard between Sunrise Road and I-35 in 2016.
Furthermore, the Texas Department of Transportation is working on a diverging diamond interchange at the intersection of University Boulevard and I-35 set to be completed this fall. TxDOT states traffic will flow off the interchange in a more controlled manner than a typical intersection.
2005
Lake Pflugerville was built in part to help address the city’s growing water needs.[/caption]
In the second edition of Community Impact Newspaper, the front-page article reported on the incomplete Lake Pflugerville and its intended effects on the area once built.
The article discussed how the city of Pflugerville intended to turn the area into a recreational jogging, fishing and boating destination. The article also examined the city’s intention to turn the lake into a reservoir to help address the city’s growing need for water.
2015
Pflugerville officials said the city would have felt the effects of the recent drought more without Lake Pflugerville.[/caption]
Now: Lake Pflugerville essential part of local water supply
Coleman said the city leaders who decided to build Lake Pflugerville were “visionary.”
“In our most recent drought, if we had not had Lake Pflugerville, the effect our citizens would have felt would have been much worse,” he said.
Coleman said the lake has succeeded as a recreational amenity as well.
“With the addition of the beach people who just want to be around a body of water can come to Lake Pflugerville,” he said. “It has been a wonderful addition to the community.”
Lake Pflugerville was built in part to help address the city’s growing water needs.[/caption]
In the second edition of Community Impact Newspaper, the front-page article reported on the incomplete Lake Pflugerville and its intended effects on the area once built.
The article discussed how the city of Pflugerville intended to turn the area into a recreational jogging, fishing and boating destination. The article also examined the city’s intention to turn the lake into a reservoir to help address the city’s growing need for water.
Pflugerville officials said the city would have felt the effects of the recent drought more without Lake Pflugerville.[/caption]
Now: Lake Pflugerville essential part of local water supply
Coleman said the city leaders who decided to build Lake Pflugerville were “visionary.”
“In our most recent drought, if we had not had Lake Pflugerville, the effect our citizens would have felt would have been much worse,” he said.
Coleman said the lake has succeeded as a recreational amenity as well.
“With the addition of the beach people who just want to be around a body of water can come to Lake Pflugerville,” he said. “It has been a wonderful addition to the community.”
