Downtown’s do-over

Rockdale is looking better, and downtown’s potential is huge

A“star marks the spot” and a landmark in progress will make a good impression to visitors. Downtown Rockdale, after years of struggle, is looking up. Downtown is shaping up with some fresh energy, new businesses and investment in the old buildings.

Rockdale doesn’t have a courthouse square or a town square, but we’ve got a pleasant and walkable downtown we hope sees preservation efforts and new investment that pay off.

The Texas star in the US 79 and Main St. intersection is a neat addition. The Texas Department of Transportation has made questionable decisions over the past decades for downtown Rockdale — remember the “cattle guard” handrails? And this week, they are digging up fresh concrete to add some drainage this week. (Will it ever end?) Still, once this is completed, it will be a stylish upgrade to the town center.

The Kay Theater renovation was a home run, and we’ve loved seeing investment in old buildings, with the Buck Henry’s Garage now a stylish tap house, and catty corner to that a soon-to-open restaurant.

Mostly we love the 1895 building’s progress. The old city hall will be a great landmark, and this renovated structure will serve as an icon for the town. We’re appreciative to the Perry family and many others who have spearheaded its renovation.

By comparison, Fredericksburg has the octagonal former church and school building — the Vereins Kirche — on its downtown square. It’s a town icon used in promotional material. Greune has Greune Hall, a traditional Texas dance hall that is its downtown anchor. Port Isabel has a lighthouse, and other small towns have iconic landmarks that bring a lot of people for the history or uniqueness.

With substantial growth headed this way, thanks to the developments at Sandow Lakes Ranch, Rockdale has an opportunity to create a pleasant, walkable downtown area that will serve as an anchor. The town will likely also get its regular retail strip centers as it grows. But those are often lacking in charm and personality, even though they help contribute to the economy.

Downtown has history and charm in spades, and we need to preserve and invest in this area. Doing so would eventually lead to weekend crowds that come to experience the shops, restaurants and other attractions, like one sees in a Fredericksburg or Wimberley.

All those visitors lead to more sales tax revenue, which benefits the city. (Fredericksburg gets so many visitors, its property tax rate is about six cents less than it would be without the tourism spending. But remember, that town’s tourism started in the 1940s with roadside peach stands.)

Downtown is ripe for development and it’s great to see the work of the Rockdale Municipal Development District and its innovative approaches.

It’s no secret our east side and US 79 corridor has needed some TLC, but a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone program just approved by the city council will help turn the tide against the neglected and dilapidated properties. It won’t happen overnight, but Rome also wasn’t built in a day.

Rockdale will see a lot of growth, judging by projections. Our downtown could still be a very charming and walkable stop for visitors, just like a Fredericksburg. That Hill Country town has substantial generational and move-in wealth — Gillespie County, of which Fredericksburg is the county seat, has more millionaires per capita than any county in Texas.

Rockdale doesn’t have either of those in significant numbers. But it has grit and a lot of solid efforts by the Municipal Development District and others who are doing their best to steer jobs and development here. We’re appreciative and we can envision a bustling downtown 5 and 10 years from now. — K.E.C.