I know Waco is growing, but it does not seem to grow as quickly as other cities in the state. This is surprising to me since it sits between Dallas and Austin/San Antonio, as well as completes the triangle to Houston.

It has a major university, trade/technical schools and decent local school districts.

What prevents it from developing into a thriving major city? Leadership?
I would think that we would try tapping into the technology developments that Austin is getting and trying to land those major corporations whose workforce may not want to live in Austin.

As a current resident of Austin, I would prefer moving back to Waco in a heartbeat if I could. This place has become a nightmare to live in anymore.

Just curious of everyone's thoughts.

On a side note, what would everyone like to see come to Waco? For me, a Costco (on the south side of town) and some sort of landmark resort or something hat would bring folks in. For instance, expand Hawaiian Falls and develop that area as a vacation spot for families. Close enough to downtown, you have Camp Fimfo developing there, etc.

baylorguy09 said:

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I know Waco is growing, but it does not seem to grow as quickly as other cities in the state. This is surprising to me since it sits between Dallas and Austin/San Antonio, as well as completes the triangle to Houston.

It has a major university, trade/technical schools and decent local school districts.

What prevents it from developing into a thriving major city? Leadership?
I would think that we would try tapping into the technology developments that Austin is getting and trying to land those major corporations whose workforce may not want to live in Austin.

As a current resident of Austin, I would prefer moving back to Waco in a heartbeat if I could. This place has become a nightmare to live in anymore.

Just curious of everyone's thoughts.

On a side note, what would everyone like to see come to Waco? For me, a Costco (on the south side of town) and some sort of landmark resort or something hat would bring folks in. For instance, expand Hawaiian Falls and develop that area as a vacation spot for families. Close enough to downtown, you have Camp Fimfo developing there, etc.

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It would appear as though you answered your own question in that Waco is too close to Austin and Dallas, but it is not close enough to be considered to be a suburb of either city. Further, what is usually forgotten in most discussions about the location of major employers is that they generally want to be located in areas that would be considered to be attractive to high earners so that they can more easily attract and retain talent, and Waco pales in comparison to Austin and Dallas (let alone Houston and San Antonio) for those earners. Finally, major companies can benefit by being near complementary companies (i.e. shipping, general contractors, shared trade routes, service contracts, etc.), and they would lose that benefit by being further away from them.

Yeah, I agree with you in regards to the points of being close to similar businesses, however, the cost of living being significantly lower and the cost of operation being significantly lower I would think would be attractive to businesses wanting to relocate. Texas is bringing in a lot of business and I would think that they would want to relocate to an area that is really not far from the cities we discussed.
You are on major rail and interstate.

I am hoping Waco can find a way to step it up and be more attractive to some businesses to pull some of the businesses from Austin and Dallas area.

I wouldn't mind living in Waco if it had the following:

-Big banks or financial companies. It's all insurance companies downtown, there is simply no where to work for someone in financial services

-Better bar scene downtown. This has gotten a lot better recently, Hotel 1928 and the return of Austin's is huge, I hope they add more places in the future to get younger people off campus into downtown. I would love to get a true bar street like 6th, Stockyards, or Northgate

-A better shopping district. The mall sucks and I would like to have somewhere that's walkable and close to downtown, I heard they wanted to build a big condo building with shops around Mclane but haven't heard any updates on it recently

I live here and would just as soon it not grow and become an Austin, Dallas, or Houston, Thank you very much.

BigGameBaylorBear said:

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I wouldn't mind living in Waco if it had the following:

-Big banks or financial companies. It's all insurance companies downtown, there is simply no where to work for someone in financial services

-Better bar scene downtown. This has gotten a lot better recently, Hotel 1928 and the return of Austin's is huge, I hope they add more places in the future to get younger people off campus into downtown. I would love to get a true bar street like 6th, Stockyards, or Northgate

-A better shopping district. The mall sucks and I would like to have somewhere that's walkable and close to downtown, I heard they wanted to build a big condo building with shops around Mclane but haven't heard any updates on it recently

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I would have liked to see something like Branson has in Branson Landing on the Riverwalk. It seems like a missed opportunity with the Riverwalk development, but I am hopeful they will do something with it instead of just apartments.

The new Performing Arts Center is a much needed project for Waco. I hope they can get the funding for that and start moving forward with it.

Couldn't agree more. Waco is sitting on a gold mine with the Brazos, hopefully they capitalize on that

Waco is 90 miles from both Austin and Dallas, too close for airline travel and a little too long for driving. If the high speed train ever does get built , Waco will grow faster, Commute possibilities and look at how easy it would be to attend Baylor sporting events . No longer need to book hotels for the entire weekend, with associated costs.

Aberzombie1892 said:

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baylorguy09 said:

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I know Waco is growing, but it does not seem to grow as quickly as other cities in the state. This is surprising to me since it sits between Dallas and Austin/San Antonio, as well as completes the triangle to Houston.

It has a major university, trade/technical schools and decent local school districts.

What prevents it from developing into a thriving major city? Leadership?
I would think that we would try tapping into the technology developments that Austin is getting and trying to land those major corporations whose workforce may not want to live in Austin.

As a current resident of Austin, I would prefer moving back to Waco in a heartbeat if I could. This place has become a nightmare to live in anymore.

Just curious of everyone's thoughts.

On a side note, what would everyone like to see come to Waco? For me, a Costco (on the south side of town) and some sort of landmark resort or something hat would bring folks in. For instance, expand Hawaiian Falls and develop that area as a vacation spot for families. Close enough to downtown, you have Camp Fimfo developing there, etc.

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It would appear as though you answered your own question in that Waco is too close to Austin and Dallas, but it is not close enough to be considered to be a suburb of either city. Further, what is usually forgotten in most discussions about the location of major employers is that they generally want to be located in areas that would be considered to be attractive to high earners so that they can more easily attract and retain talent, and Waco pales in comparison to Austin and Dallas (let alone Houston and San Antonio) for those earners. Finally, major companies can benefit by being near complementary companies (i.e. shipping, general contractors, shared trade routes, service contracts, etc.), and they would lose that benefit by being further away from them.

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I would agree with this. While Waco has a perfect location in terms of being close to everything. I think that works against it in some ways. Big Corps looking to relocate say "well we may as well be in DFW or Austin". But then it is too far away still for the urban sprawl of Austin and DFW to engulf it . Although I do think that is coming over the next few decades from both directions.

Mostly because of jobs. Thriving major city = well-paying white collar jobs, and there aren't very many in Waco. As people begin to work from home more, I think that could cause a mini resurgence in small towns where more affordable housing is available (could also be bad for locals as they will be priced out of their own hometown). But I think what you see is pretty much what you get right now with Waco as I don't see an economic boom happening anytime soon

Small airport

most of the reasons already mentioned contribute to the slow growth

another aspect is intentional wage suppression

it keeps costs low for businesses but also results in slow growth

BEAR 45 said:

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Waco is 90 miles from both Austin and Dallas, too close for airline travel and a little too long for driving. If the high speed train ever does get built , Waco will grow faster, Commute possibilities and look at how easy it would be to attend Baylor sporting events . No longer need to book hotels for the entire weekend, with associated costs.

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Probably posting this on wrong thread, but Waco-Dallas passenger service by rail was booming in 1920...then the depression hit. https://wacohistory.org/items/show/117

Meth, industrial decay and lack of work force development and most of all the internet has helped people see the whole street and wise up to Chip and Jo updating a home between 2 obscured crack houses.

BUBBFAN said:

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I live here and would just as soon it not grow and become an Austin, Dallas, or Houston, Thank you very much.

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This. I don't live in Waco (see name), but I would hate to see it become Dallas/Austin/Houston. Those cities suck. I like that they're 90 miles away.

Bexar Pitts said:

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BEAR 45 said:

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Waco is 90 miles from both Austin and Dallas, too close for airline travel and a little too long for driving. If the high speed train ever does get built , Waco will grow faster, Commute possibilities and look at how easy it would be to attend Baylor sporting events . No longer need to book hotels for the entire weekend, with associated costs.

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Probably posting this on wrong thread, but Waco-Dallas passenger service by rail was booming in 1920...then the depression hit. https://wacohistory.org/items/show/117

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Seeing them old pics of downtown is heart breaking. Used to be so much life in that city

BigGameBaylorBear said:

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Bexar Pitts said:

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BEAR 45 said:

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Waco is 90 miles from both Austin and Dallas, too close for airline travel and a little too long for driving. If the high speed train ever does get built , Waco will grow faster, Commute possibilities and look at how easy it would be to attend Baylor sporting events . No longer need to book hotels for the entire weekend, with associated costs.

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Probably posting this on wrong thread, but Waco-Dallas passenger service by rail was booming in 1920...then the depression hit. https://wacohistory.org/items/show/117

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Seeing them old pics of downtown is heart breaking. Used to be so much life in that city

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Guess I should say I think it's light -years ahead of where it was 20 years ago...

BUBBFAN said:

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I live here and would just as soon it not grow and become an Austin, Dallas, or Houston, Thank you very much.

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This. I hate all of those places and live here for a reason. Those places suck to live in precisely BECAUSE of the growth.

BigGameBaylorBear said:

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Bexar Pitts said:

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BEAR 45 said:

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Waco is 90 miles from both Austin and Dallas, too close for airline travel and a little too long for driving. If the high speed train ever does get built , Waco will grow faster, Commute possibilities and look at how easy it would be to attend Baylor sporting events . No longer need to book hotels for the entire weekend, with associated costs.

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Probably posting this on wrong thread, but Waco-Dallas passenger service by rail was booming in 1920...then the depression hit. https://wacohistory.org/items/show/117

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Seeing them old pics of downtown is heart breaking. Used to be so much life in that city

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I graduated in 2014. Wife and I went and walked around downtown this last spring, and I was honestly shocked at the progress that's been made in 9 years. Areas that were a ghost town my freshman year are now very yuppie

Krieg said:

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BUBBFAN said:

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I live here and would just as soon it not grow and become an Austin, Dallas, or Houston, Thank you very much.

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This. I hate all of those places and live here for a reason. Those places suck to live in precisely BECAUSE of the growth.

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No need to worry, you won't live long enough to see Waco the size of Austin in the 1970's and not likely your kids or grand kids either

The population of Travis County in 76 was 386,100. in 1970 it was 295,516. The size of Mclennan in 23 is 268,280. I would say McLennan is already just about the size of Travis County in the 70s.

PartyBear said:

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The population of Travis County in 76 was 386,100. in 1970 it was 295,516. The size of Mclennan in 23 is 268,280. I would say McLennan is already just about the size of Travis County in the 70s.

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Thanks I was looking for some factual info when I posted my comment. Since you like facts, Waco is listed as 142, 000 in 2023 and Austin was at 341,000 in 1979, so I believe I have some leeway

BUBBFAN said:

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I live here and would just as soon it not grow and become an Austin, Dallas, or Houston, Thank you very much.

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Here's your reason. Not that there's anything wrong with it - it's just that many don't want the city to grow into a major hub. If the right people wanted it to be something more, it would have been there by now.

People at Baylor always made fun of the blue hairs in Waco but I've lived in Houston my whole life and I'd love some blue hairs around here. This city is out of control.

Waco is a dump.

Without Baylor it's a wasteland.

Keep in mind the tornado of the 50s. The negative impact was incredible, and very likely set the city back a solid century. Waco was LARGER than Austin at the time. Hard to think that was possible given what we have all known as small town Waco for the past 70 years. Im convinced this town would be at least double or triple its current population otherwise.

BUBBFAN said:

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I live here and would just as soon it not grow and become an Austin, Dallas, or Houston, Thank you very much.

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Amen, I left Dallas bc I liked Wacos qualities better. If it becomes like Austin or Dallas , then stay in Austin or Dallas if that is what you like. Crowded mega cities do not impress me at all. I spent 15 years in that and travel to it once or twice a week. I was in a 6 am traffic jam in Dallas a couple of weeks ago and said to myself, "self, this is why you moved out of this cottonpicking mess"

I think the tornado event is a little overblown, pun intended. Plenty of thriving cities over the ages have had natural disasters and sprung back. The oil industry was starting to boom in the 50s, and Waco was not in the right location. There was also no Amon Carter to help boost things like in Fort Worth

Golden Helmet said:

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Waco is a dump.

Without Baylor it's a wasteland.

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What a rude, uneducated and incorrect comment. I have lived in McLennan County most of my 74. Most of the posts here are not made by Wacoans.

Yes, Baylor is a huge part of our community. But it is a great place to live. We have an outstanding professional community. Our doctors, lawyers and CPAs are outstanding for a city our size.

I don't know where the poverty perception comes from. It's just not true. And the commercial and industrial growth in the last decade has been great. Our location is really good. Amazon picked Waco for location. And they currently employ 2,300. Some of their employees are commuting from DFW and Georgetown

The County now has a population of 300,000

Waco ISD is poor. But Midway, China Spring, Lorena and Crawford schools are very good. And some very good private schools have flourished.

I spend a lot of time in Houston. And I much rather live in Waco suburbs any day.

Golden Helmet said:

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Waco is a dump.

Without Baylor it's a wasteland.

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As Bro. Dave Gardner once said.." If Gratitude is riches and complaint is poverty, then the worst I ever had was wonderful ! " I think Waco, as goes life, is what you make of it..

If Grapevine, Plano, or Highland Park is what you grew up with and what you think the zenith of life is, Waco probably does seem like a dump.

My family has lived in five different Texas cities (including Houston and Dallas), and the Waco area is by far our favorite. We love living just 20 minutes from McLane Stadium (and soon the Foster Pavilion). To each [their] own, and... Go Bears!

To answer the question about what is missing... Waco needs to complete the many road construction projects, east Waco development, performing arts center discussions, and Brazos River development. Also, I know this won't be popular to say, but Waco needs to continue to embrace whatever Chip and Joanna Gaines dream up. Also, it's time for the Pappas restaurants to make their way to Waco.

Waco is Killeen but with more lanes and homeless people.

In other words, a dog's breakfast.

Mods please move this to chit chat. Nobody's accomplishing anything here and it's nowhere near football related.

No Quarterback said:

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If Grapevine, Plano, or Highland Park is what you grew up with and what you think the zenith of life is, Waco probably does seem like a dump.

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I wouldn't move to any of those places for 5x what I make now unless you replaced all the people that live there as well. That's the problem with DFW and Austin, and it's demonstrated perfectly in your post.

Krieg said:

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No Quarterback said:

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If Grapevine, Plano, or Highland Park is what you grew up with and what you think the zenith of life is, Waco probably does seem like a dump.

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I wouldn't move to any of those places for 5x what I make now unless you replaced all the people that live there as well. That's the problem with DFW and Austin, and it's demonstrated perfectly in your post.

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I wasn't trying to be snooty and I agree with the sentiment. I live in a smallish town myself and prefer that atmosphere. just stating the fact that a lot of people that move to Waco to attend Baylor are from wealthy suburbs. Totally different atmosphere in Waco. Case in point, there was a dude on this board complaining a few weeks ago about having to walk underneath the overpass to get to McLane Stadium because it was loud and dangerous.