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As Celina’s population grows, its downtown area hasn’t grown at the same rate, according to city officials.
Anthony Satarino, director of the Celina Economic Development Corp., said that downtown was “softening,” referring to fewer visits and less sales tax revenue than expected in recent years.
Celina City Council and the Celina Economic Development Corp. board discussed plans to reinvigorate downtown at a joint meeting Feb. 9.
The approach
To help downtown businesses take advantage of the city’s growth, officials are laying out a strategic vision for the area, and they're looking to Grapevine and McKinney for inspiration.
Satarino characterized Grapevine’s downtown as a “destination-driven model” designed to attract nonresidents.
“Eighty cents of every dollar spent in Grapevine comes from someone who does not live there,” he said.
On the other hand, McKinney’s downtown is more “local-serving,” with a greater focus on a “steady, everyday downtown” and targeted support for small businesses, according to his presentation.
In Celina, officials hope to blend the two models to create a downtown that can host flagship events and still create everyday foot traffic for local businesses.
“We want to be both,” council member Andy Hopkins said. “Or a hybrid of both.”
By the numbers
Celina’s population grew 17% from 2024 to 2025, according to city documents.
“You think, well, we’re growing so much, of course we’re just going to open up all these new markets of people who are now five minutes away, 10 minutes away, and that’s just not happening,” Satarino said.
The number of visits to downtown Celina in 2025 fell 6.9% from its peak in 2022, Satarino said, even as the city’s population expanded.
Meanwhile, total sales tax revenue grew 8.44% from 2024 to 2025, but there are also more businesses downtown competing for customers, Satarino said.
When it comes to sales tax per business, that revenue has fallen nearly 30% since 2022, according to city documents.
“This isn’t a ‘downtown is failing, skies are falling’ discussion,” Satarino said. “It’s just a signal that the market’s changing.”
Looking ahead
City officials set a series of goals for downtown Celina, including:
Despite the challenges, city leaders remain optimistic about downtown Celina as a driver of economic growth.
“It’s important to remember that it was a ghost town five years ago,” Mayor Pro Tem Eddie Cawlfield said. “Progress is happening.”
