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Down<strong>to</strong>wn<br />
Continued from | 1<br />
12<br />
4th St.<br />
Pecan St.<br />
In an effort <strong>to</strong> create a unified shopping district,<br />
the Pflugerville <strong>Community</strong> Development<br />
Corp. plans <strong>to</strong> unveil eight new solar-powered<br />
street lights in 2013, replacing existing street<br />
lamps on Pecan Street. Business leaders with<br />
the Pflugerville Down<strong>to</strong>wn Association, which<br />
funded the project, say the effort will help<br />
separate the area and create a more inviting<br />
area <strong>to</strong> encourage shoppers <strong>to</strong> stroll along<br />
down<strong>to</strong>wn streets.<br />
Bars/coffee<br />
1. Dazzle Coffee<br />
2. Hanovers Draught Haus<br />
3. PBK Stem & Stein<br />
4. Players Billiards<br />
5. Red Rooster’s<br />
Dining<br />
6. El Rincon<br />
7. Das Cafe<br />
8. Tequila Grill<br />
Pfest, are the biggest ways he has attracted<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers since opening in December.<br />
“People are enjoying the shops that are<br />
here. They’re talking about them, and that’s<br />
creating a buzz. It’s starting <strong>to</strong> gain some<br />
traction,” Sides said.<br />
To capitalize on the success of community<br />
events, the Down<strong>to</strong>wn Association<br />
plans <strong>to</strong> start a monthly First Friday, a<br />
street market event featuring local vendors,<br />
food and activities for attendees.<br />
“We do hope that through our efforts ...<br />
potential business owners see the benefits<br />
of being down<strong>to</strong>wn and then make the<br />
move <strong>to</strong> be here,” Sides said.<br />
Sides said in order <strong>to</strong> further capitalize<br />
on buzz and maximize the attention, civic<br />
leaders need <strong>to</strong> focus on key areas.<br />
“I would love if the city would [do things]<br />
here that encourage foot traffic,” Sides said.<br />
“We need ways <strong>to</strong> get people <strong>to</strong> think that<br />
this is a place they can come and spend a<br />
few hours walking around.”<br />
New street lights<br />
One way the city is looking <strong>to</strong> do that is<br />
by replacing existing street lights on Pecan<br />
Street with cus<strong>to</strong>m-designed solar-powered<br />
lamps. Floyd Akers, executive direc<strong>to</strong>r<br />
of the Pflugerville <strong>Community</strong> Development<br />
Corp., which co-funded the $50,000<br />
project, said the street lamps will help<br />
define the down<strong>to</strong>wn shopping district.<br />
“We want (shoppers) <strong>to</strong> feel welcome<br />
<strong>to</strong> take their time and walk around here,”<br />
22<br />
Down<strong>to</strong>wn stroll<br />
11<br />
3rd St.<br />
3rd St.<br />
20<br />
Retail<br />
9. All About You<br />
10. Flower Child Design<br />
11. Imaginations by Britta<br />
12. Pecan Street Plaza<br />
13. The Old Prague Market<br />
14. Ruffles & Rust<br />
15. Toy Time<br />
16. Wordyisms<br />
2nd St.<br />
1<br />
Hall St.<br />
8<br />
2nd St.<br />
1st St.<br />
Main St.<br />
Akers said.<br />
Akers said as Pflugerville’s growth surges<br />
<strong>to</strong> the east, the city still wants shoppers <strong>to</strong><br />
know its roots.<br />
“It’s easy <strong>to</strong> lose your character when<br />
you’re getting all this new development,”<br />
Akers said. “But we need <strong>to</strong> remind people<br />
of where we came from, that we have a<br />
vibrant and thriving down<strong>to</strong>wn, <strong>to</strong>o.”<br />
Sides thinks the lights are a step in the<br />
right direction.<br />
“It separates the central business district<br />
as a clearly defined, individual area,” Sides<br />
said. “By making it [walkable], it helps<br />
show residents that there is something<br />
valuable happening down<strong>to</strong>wn.”<br />
Dining diversity<br />
One concern for those looking <strong>to</strong> encourage<br />
foot traffic growth is the lack of dining<br />
options in down<strong>to</strong>wn Pflugerville. Beau<br />
Dawson, owner of Flower Child Design<br />
floral shop and head of the Pflugerville<br />
Down<strong>to</strong>wn Association, said more restaurant<br />
diversity could help boost business.<br />
“It’s those restaurants that get people<br />
<strong>to</strong> come out for an afternoon lunch or <strong>to</strong><br />
prompt them <strong>to</strong> spend an evening down<br />
here,” Dawson said. “Right now they just<br />
don’t have that many choices.”<br />
In the down<strong>to</strong>wn district, only three fullservice<br />
sit-down restaurants, Tequila Grill,<br />
El Rincon and Das Cafe exist.<br />
“It’s <strong>to</strong>ugh <strong>to</strong> open a restaurant down<strong>to</strong>wn,”<br />
Dawson said. “They have <strong>to</strong> rely on<br />
weekend crowds, and without the foot traffic<br />
<strong>to</strong> support it, that can be hard <strong>to</strong> do.”<br />
Restaurant owner Ines Mosley opened<br />
9<br />
10<br />
15<br />
14<br />
Services<br />
17. All God’s Creatures Grooming<br />
18. Comerica bank<br />
19. Freedom Machine Tat<strong>to</strong>o<br />
20. Frost & Lawrence Interiors<br />
21. KN Nails & Spa<br />
22. Pecan Street Car Wash<br />
23<br />
1st St.<br />
21<br />
19<br />
18<br />
17<br />
5<br />
City Hall<br />
3<br />
Das Cafe, a German eatery, on July 6. She<br />
said although business was slow at first,<br />
signs indicate it could be ramping up. Mosley<br />
said community events such as sidewalk<br />
sales are beneficial for the business.<br />
“Slowly but surely, more cus<strong>to</strong>mers are<br />
finding us, but it takes time,” Mosley said.<br />
New venue, new clientele<br />
Pflugerville Mayor Jeff Coleman<br />
acknowledged a lack of local options has<br />
residents trained <strong>to</strong> leave <strong>to</strong>wn for their<br />
shopping and dining needs.<br />
“As mayor, the No. 1 request I hear is that<br />
we need more sit-down restaurants (down<strong>to</strong>wn),”<br />
Coleman said.<br />
Coleman said a lack of diversity in<br />
options for dining and bar patrons sparked<br />
the idea <strong>to</strong> open a new venue. In Oc<strong>to</strong>ber,<br />
Coleman and a team of local inves<strong>to</strong>rs plan<br />
<strong>to</strong> launch PBK Stem & Stein, a wine bar and<br />
eatery. The venue is set <strong>to</strong> open at 111 E.<br />
Main St., the former home of the European<br />
Bistro, which closed in July.<br />
Coleman said he looked <strong>to</strong> neighboring<br />
cities with thriving down<strong>to</strong>wns such as<br />
Round Rock <strong>to</strong> identify elements that were<br />
missing from Pflugerville.<br />
“It’s going <strong>to</strong> evolve over time. These are<br />
just small steps in down<strong>to</strong>wn’s evolution,”<br />
Coleman said. “Our goal is <strong>to</strong> let residents<br />
understand if they want something, they<br />
can find it down<strong>to</strong>wn. They don’t have <strong>to</strong><br />
go <strong>to</strong> Round Rock, George<strong>to</strong>wn or Austin.”<br />
Find related s<strong>to</strong>ries at impactnews.com. Keyword Search<br />
Down<strong>to</strong>wn Pflugerville<br />
4<br />
24<br />
7<br />
Railroad Ave.<br />
Pecan St.<br />
New street lights<br />
Funded by a joint effort of the Pflugerville<br />
Down<strong>to</strong>wn Association and the Pflugerville<br />
<strong>Community</strong> Development Corp., at a <strong>to</strong>tal<br />
cost of $50,000, the lights feature:<br />
13<br />
• Two LED Lights<br />
• Solar panel mounted on <strong>to</strong>p of pole<br />
• Battery box mounted on pole base<br />
Gas<br />
23. Quick Trip<br />
24. Shell Source: Pflugerville community<br />
development corporation<br />
©2012 google, cAPcOg<br />
2<br />
Walnut St.<br />
16<br />
6<br />
impactnews.com • Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 2012 | NEWS | 19<br />
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