The first building in Oak Ridge North’s long-planned Plaza District has been deemed substantially complete by Identity Architects, and plans are moving forward on the next steps for the project.
The building, identified as Retail 1 in city agenda materials, is 18,000 square feet in size and located at 27438 Robinson Road, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.
City Council accepted substantial completion for the project and released $1.8 million in escrow funds at its July 27 meeting.
What's next
A second release of funds will be conducted after the exterior of the city’s former public works building is completed. The next step will involve the demolition of a back conference room at the current City Hall to build a driveway to enter the planned shopping center off Robinson Road.
The project will need to be completed before the developer turns the keys over to the first tenant, according to agenda materials. However, the developer is talking to the tenant about possibly waiving the requirement because of the cost, according to discussion at the meeting.
City Council approved the demolition agreement between the two entities, in case it is needed.
The backstory
A groundbreaking last October marked the beginning of Phase 1 of the 60,000-square-foot Plaza District. According to information from the city, the Plaza District will feature restaurants with patios overlooking a green space.
The Plaza District commercial zone was established in 2013 for Town Center development in the city, as previously reported by Community Impact.
According to information from Identity Architects and Oak Ridge North, the Plaza District is planned as a mixed-use commercial destination that will feature restaurants and retail as well as a new City Hall and an 8,000-square-foot central green space.
