Georgetown Continues to Promote Growth

KXAN has a video that aired last night showing how Georgetown is developer friendly and is encouraging growth.

All those new homes and new residents mean a window of opportunity for developers.

"The P. Terry's of the world, the bigger retailers [and] restaurant groups of the world wanted to be here, as well as Austin players wanted to be here to serve this growing community," explained Kevin Hunter, CFO and COO of Central Southwest Texas Development.

Hunter's company broke ground Tuesday on their new 42 acre, 250,000 sq. ft. retail center. It's at the corner of I-35 and Highway 29.

"When we did our analysis, we have determined there's a void in this area where the community, from a retail standpoint, a restaurant standpoint, is underserved," Hunter said.

He said about 80% of the space is spoken for already. He said you can expect to see restaurants and medical offices like "Mama Fu's, P. Terry's, Jason's Deli, Austin Regional Clinic, Aspen Dental, Jersey Mike's [and] Verizon."

Mayor Dale Ross said he welcomes this development, and as more development comes to Georgetown, he wants the city to work on its long-term plan.

"What do you want our city to look like in 2030, and we want to hear from everybody," he said. "Georgetown is known for its long-term strategic plan, whether it's going to 100% renewable energy with contracts over 20-25 years, or the way we do land development."

The 2030 plan the city is reviewing right now, Ross said, is a top to bottom review of their building code.

"Where do we need the businesses, and where do we need the residences, and what does that look like," he said.

"This is a pro-development area," said Hunter. "They understand that development is complex, and they understand how to work through issues that come with development."

If you do not agree with this "pro-development" posture by your city officials, contact your Council Members and let them know how you feel! Get involved!