Waco will rue the day that it chose not to work with Killeen-Temple.
That is all.
That is all.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."
Central Texas Growth. - Waco
15,687 Views |
87 Replies |
Last: 3 mo ago by Yogi
By the way, I am very active in all three Central Texas cities. I think the Central Texas triangle "Centroplex" missed a terrific opportunity in the 80's to join economic forces.
I live in Temple, but have offices in Killeen, Waco, and Round Rock. Temple is still a great area to live for a " youngish" ( though not really anymore) professional.
They still need more fine dining options in Bell County. I am still surprised that despite the higher median wage and number of professionals that Temple has still can't compete to Waco when it comes to fine dining.
Hey, you gotta keep your priorities.
I live in Temple, but have offices in Killeen, Waco, and Round Rock. Temple is still a great area to live for a " youngish" ( though not really anymore) professional.
They still need more fine dining options in Bell County. I am still surprised that despite the higher median wage and number of professionals that Temple has still can't compete to Waco when it comes to fine dining.
Hey, you gotta keep your priorities.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."
Here is an example of the "quality" workmanship you can get from one of the national builders.
Down in Temple, a South Korean steel manufacturer announced yesterday that they're building a $110 million manufacturing facility which will employ about 100 people. It will be on the north side of town near the HEB distribution center.
Recall Waco's dining scene before it became a tourist destination (still hard to type that). Add in lots of Baylor grad retirees.Yogi said:
They still need more fine dining options in Bell County. I am still surprised that despite the higher median wage and number of professionals that Temple has still can't compete to Waco when it comes to fine dining.
Oddly enough, we're probably just 10 years away from Waco becoming the smallest MSA in Central Texas.
It's why Baylor needs to keep marketing itself and furthering influence outside the Waco area.
It's why Baylor needs to keep marketing itself and furthering influence outside the Waco area.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."
Sorry, my caffeine intake has not gotten me to the point of adequate reading comprehension. I erased my snide post after reading your post again.
I thought Waco was the smallest metro area now.
We're technically a bit bigger than BCS now, though BCS is really connected to Houston vs the I35 cities of Waco/Killeen/Temple so we forget about it mostly.Bearly said:
I thought Waco was the smallest metro area now.
Yogi said:
Waco is already the third smallest metro in Central Texas and will soon fall behind Bryan/ College Station as well.
It's a nice town and all, but it is also old, sluggish, and complacent.
Waco is still competing with Temple/Killeen for manufacturing and distribution opportunities, but T/K clearly is going to get that edge going forward.
Also, Temple's proximity to Austin makes it more attractive to Big Tech and other high paying jobs.
It's not all Waco's fault, but I think Waco's heyday has passed. It will still remain a quant college/ tourist destination, however, between Texas' more populated areas.
Waco is in its Hayday now. Waco has come a million miles in 20 years, and a much better place to live than Temple. Temple traffic routes are a hodge podge. While I appreciate the military, it makes for a very different environment and a lot of people with no roots or long term interest in the city. Explosive growth is not something I wish on our city. I had that in Dallas and came here for a better quality of life. Bigger is not always better. For me quality of life is inversely related to big city explosive growth
Not only is the Killeen-Temple MSA outpacing the Waco MSA in population grown, but so is the Bryan-College Station MSA.baylorguy09 said:
I read today that Temple grew the most from 2020-2023 - growing by 10,000. In that same period, Waco grew just over 4,000, Killeen by 6,000, and Belton 2,000.
I think the lack of housing inventory is hurting Waco currently. With the new development officer coming to Waco with a pretty decent track record (at least on paper), Waco should have a pretty bright future ahead.
I just moved out of Austin, currently staying in Temple with family (and also where we have lived for 23 years) to make the commute easier, but I can't wait to live full time in Waco. Temple infrastructure is behind the times and local leadership seems clueless about keeping up with the growth. The development has caused nothing but gridlock during morning/evening/weekend commutes.
With the centralized location to Austin/Dallas/Houston access, there really is no excuse to not see Waco explode with growth of people trying to escape the overpriced city life.
I think a good part of that is because both Houston and Austin continue to sprawl.
I think by 2050, Waco will actually be the fourth or fifth largest city in Central Texas (if you count Austin).
Some of that is location. Some of that is culture and politics. I am not sure there is anything the Waco area can really do at this point. The metropolises to the North and South are quickly developing. which ultimately makes Waco less of a hub city. You still have that distance from the D/FW and Austin areas.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."
In a relatively short period of time Waco will be in the DFW/ATX/SA meglopolitan area.
You say that like it's a bad thing. Waco is becoming a better version of itself - better lifestyle, more good options for food, drink, shopping, etc. It's growing as fast as I'd care to see it grow.Yogi said:Not only is the Killeen-Temple MSA outpacing the Waco MSA in population grown, but so is the Bryan-College Station MSA.baylorguy09 said:
I read today that Temple grew the most from 2020-2023 - growing by 10,000. In that same period, Waco grew just over 4,000, Killeen by 6,000, and Belton 2,000.
I think the lack of housing inventory is hurting Waco currently. With the new development officer coming to Waco with a pretty decent track record (at least on paper), Waco should have a pretty bright future ahead.
I just moved out of Austin, currently staying in Temple with family (and also where we have lived for 23 years) to make the commute easier, but I can't wait to live full time in Waco. Temple infrastructure is behind the times and local leadership seems clueless about keeping up with the growth. The development has caused nothing but gridlock during morning/evening/weekend commutes.
With the centralized location to Austin/Dallas/Houston access, there really is no excuse to not see Waco explode with growth of people trying to escape the overpriced city life.
I think a good part of that is because both Houston and Austin continue to sprawl.
I think by 2050, Waco will actually be the fourth or fifth largest city in Central Texas (if you count Austin).
Some of that is location. Some of that is culture and politics. I am not sure there is anything the Waco area can really do at this point. The metropolises to the North and South are quickly developing. which ultimately makes Waco less of a hub city. You still have that distance from the D/FW and Austin areas.
Belton will be the next Georgetown in not too long. If that takes longer to come to Waco (and is outside of my lifetime), I'm totally good with that. I live here because I don't want to live in a metropolis or the suburbs of one. Waco being protected from that for longer is a positive as far as I'm concerned. But I'm not relying on Waco growth to make my money. If I was a Waco-area real estate developer, I might feel differently.
I think the problem you're going to run into is that the Temple-Killeen MSA will soon become the central hub of Central Texas, much like Waco was back in the 1950's.
Temple is already beating Waco out for industrial locations and relocations. It makes it that much more difficult to bring good people and good jobs to the city when you have a stronger competitor 30 miles to your South.
It also takes from transportation dollars. Yes, the State is about to spend another $300 million in McLennan County, but it is spending over $700 million in Bell County with a 14 lane interstate highway slated to be built between Belton and Temple.
What does that do for Baylor?
When the train failed to come to Independence, Independence died, and Baylor wound up moving to Waco.
What happens when Waco dies, so to speak? That's my concern.
Temple is already beating Waco out for industrial locations and relocations. It makes it that much more difficult to bring good people and good jobs to the city when you have a stronger competitor 30 miles to your South.
It also takes from transportation dollars. Yes, the State is about to spend another $300 million in McLennan County, but it is spending over $700 million in Bell County with a 14 lane interstate highway slated to be built between Belton and Temple.
What does that do for Baylor?
When the train failed to come to Independence, Independence died, and Baylor wound up moving to Waco.
What happens when Waco dies, so to speak? That's my concern.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."
Waco is not going to die on the I-35 corridor even if Temple-Belton-Killeen (which is a bizarrely spread out MSA) and College Station outpace it.
You can't be serious... really?Yogi said:
I think the problem you're going to run into is that the Temple-Killeen MSA will soon become the central hub of Central Texas, much like Waco was back in the 1950's.
Temple is already beating Waco out for industrial locations and relocations. It makes it that much more difficult to bring good people and good jobs to the city when you have a stronger competitor 30 miles to your South.
It also takes from transportation dollars. Yes, the State is about to spend another $300 million in McLennan County, but it is spending over $700 million in Bell County with a 14 lane interstate highway slated to be built between Belton and Temple.
What does that do for Baylor?
When the train failed to come to Independence, Independence died, and Baylor wound up moving to Waco.
What happens when Waco dies, so to speak? That's my concern.
I have seen the plans for the new highway expansion... not sure where you are getting that they are building a 14-lane highway between Belton and Temple. They don't even have that in Austin. They are expanding I-14 is that is what you meant.
And if you have been to Waco recently, they literally are updating every major highway and road in the city. They are about to complete the loop in Bellmead and widen it, which I think will be the future for residential growth in the area. McGregor continues to attract top industry.
You sure are full of doom and gloom.
I will tell you all this:
It is in McLennan County's best interest to work with Bell County for the best interest of the area as a whole.
The problem is there are too many people in places of leadership or influence in McLennan County who don't want to give up or otherwise share what power and/ or influence that they have.
But there could have been a common central Texas airport, train station, MPO, etc.
It is in McLennan County's best interest to work with Bell County for the best interest of the area as a whole.
The problem is there are too many people in places of leadership or influence in McLennan County who don't want to give up or otherwise share what power and/ or influence that they have.
But there could have been a common central Texas airport, train station, MPO, etc.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."
We shall see.Robert Wilson said:
Waco is not going to die on the I-35 corridor even if Temple-Belton-Killeen (which is a bizarrely spread out MSA) and College Station outpace it.
Did you read the article about the high speed rail coming through Central Texas and only B/CS getting a depot?
At least Waco will always have IH-35.
And, they still haven't built high speed rail here in Texas since I first heard about the idea in the 1980's.
BTW, it's not that Waco will die, per se. Just that the median income will continue to fall in the city and it will progressively get an older population, which the trend has been over the last few decades.
My question is, "Is that the place Baylor University wants to be in 2050?". McLennan County leadership seems extremely complacent and reliant upon that university - and have been so for years. So the cities surrounding the area have caught up, and Texas by the year 3000 is going to be a much different place than it is in 2024. And as Waco has diminished in importance to the State since the 1800's, I think it will continue to do so under the circumstances going forward.
And, I think that is due to a variety of circumstances. But it certainly will no longer be the information, media, education, and industrial hub of Central Texas as it once was.
"Smarter than the Average Bear."