Waco City Council Approves Construction of Barron’s Branch District
Published September 02, 2026
The Waco Downtown Redevelopment Project reached a major milestone Tuesday as the Waco City Council approved the Master Development Agreement authorizing construction of public improvements in the Barron’s Branch District.
“This is an exciting milestone for Waco and the result of years of thoughtful planning, community input, and careful financial stewardship,” said Mayor Jim Holmes. “Barron’s Branch is about much more than creating a beautiful new park. We’re investing in aging infrastructure, improving how people move through downtown, and creating public spaces that Wacoans can enjoy for generations. At the same time, we’re laying the groundwork for private investment that can strengthen our tax base and create new opportunities for our community. This is a significant step toward the downtown Wacoans have helped us envision.”
The action moves Barron’s Branch from planning and design into construction, advancing critical infrastructure improvements alongside a signature public park district designed to invite Wacoans downtown and unlock new opportunities for private investment.
The total Master Development Agreement is approximately $184 million, including previously authorized predevelopment and design work and the newly authorized construction. The Barron’s Branch construction price cap is approximately $169.3 million, including a City-controlled contingency, and came in under budget.
More Than a Park
The approximately 30-acre Barron’s Branch District will include more than seven acres of new signature park and public plaza space, featuring interactive fountains, pathways along a flowing creekway, a pedestrian bridge, performance pavilion, event spaces and connections to La Pila Plaza and the Waco Convention Center.
The investment extends well beyond the park itself. The project will improve streets and walkability, replace aging utilities and increase capacity, incorporate resilient water-management strategies and address existing floodplain limitations. Together, those improvements are expected to reclaim more than 11 acres of land for future use.
The results will be new public spaces for the community while also building the infrastructure needed to support downtown's continued growth.
A Vision Shaped With Waco
The vision for Barron’s Branch has taken shape over the past two years with Wacoans, neighbors, businesses and community partners at the table.
Community engagement has included more than 150 public events, 4,000 face-to-face conversations, 40,000 website views and 650 newsletter subscribers, along with ongiong collaboration with partners including Waco ISD, St. Francis on the Brazos Catholic Church, Primera Iglesia Bautista and area businesses.
That input helped shape a project built around a multi-win approach, with public investments designed to address multiple community needs, from infrastructure and drainage to public spaces, connectivity, and economic development.
Investing Today, Unlocking Tomorrow
Barron’s Branch is moving forward within the financial framework established by City Council: no new taxes, minimal impact to household utility bills and an innovative financing strategy that avoids nearly $23 million in typical interest costs.
Funding comes from existing sources dedicated to these purposes, including Water, Wastewater and Drainage improvements, as well as downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone funds for streets and park improvements.
The public improvements are also intended to help catalyze future development. Current projections identify the potential for more than $800 million in future private investment, with five development sites already under negotiation.
With Council's September 1 approval, the City can issue the Notice to Proceed and move construction forward, with project completion anticipated by April 2029.
Barron’s Branch represents the first major implementation of the Downtown Strategic Roadmap and an important step toward a more connected, walkable and vibrant downtown.
The community helped shape the vision. Now, that vision is becoming reality.