Story to watch in 2021: Flurry of activity continues in Old Town Lewisville

The city of Lewisville has effectively expanded the boundaries of Old Town Lewisville in hopes that doing so will spur further business activity to the east and the north of the district, which has undergone a flurry of construction in recent months.

Lewisville’s historic core is home to its main municipal government building; its largest performance venue; its Main Street area, lined with small businesses; and more than a dozen recent construction projects.

Drawing investment to the area has been a priority for the city in recent years as it has approved a series of economic incentive agreements to attract businesses, Economic Development Director Jason Moore has said. Lewisville has also devoted taxes from local properties toward infrastructure improvements, particularly along Main and Mill streets.

In December, Lewisville City Council approved a measure to expand Old Town’s reinvestment zone to include new areas north and east of current boundaries.

“These areas currently consist primarily of vacant land and older industrial areas that are anticipated to redevelop over time,” City Manager Donna Barron said in a November letter to council members. “Expanding the zone to include these areas will spur private investment and redevelopment along with intentional infrastructure improvements.”

The Main and Mill road project is mostly complete, with some minor work still in progress, according to city spokesperson James Kunke. The street project has generated increased redevelopment interest in Old Town properties, Kunke said in an email.