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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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