and a civic campus into an emerging downtown corridor designed for walkability, convenience, and community life. “With the City Center in motion, we’re bringing housing, retail, trails, and civic services together in one place,” says the city’s Senior Director for Business & Capital (Economic Development, Planning & Zoning, and Capital Improvement Planning). “The public feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and the first projects are already moving from zoning to planning and permitting.” A DOWNTOWN BY DESIGN The Elam Road City Center Plan—adopted this spring after a year-long corridor study—establishes four “character areas” that will anchor the downtown experience: A focus on a Town Center – a pedestrianforward hub that blends ground-floor retail and restaurants with upper-floor residential, creating a Gateway Corridor – a welcoming, highly visible entry sequence that signals arrival, looking towards an Infill Town Area – targeted sites for mixed-use and civic infill to knit assets together and creative Civic Uses – a consolidated government campus that brings dispersed services into one accessible place. Early momentum is tangible. This spring, City Council approved mixed-use rezoning within the corridor, enabling a blend of single-family homes, townhomes, and retail. The developer is now moving through planning, advancing a five-to-ten-year phasing horizon that will populate the district with residents, everyday conveniences, and green public spaces. City Manager Charles Fenner frames it as equal parts placemaking and practicality.“We’re creating a place people choose to go—because they can take care of business, meet friends, and enjoy open space in one trip. As we get the streets right—new lighting, turn lanes, traffic flow—it invites the buildings to follow.” INFRASTRUCTURE FIRST: WATER, SEWER, STREETS, AND SPEED Balch Springs has pursued a “maintenance-plus” approach: fix what’s aging and expand capacity where growth is coming. Water and sewer systems have seen pipe-bursting upgrades and a forthcoming water/sewer master plan update to align capacity 21 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12 BALCH SPRINGS, TX
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