Bedford doesn’t have a Main Street or downtown area, but a developer wants to create that experience on vacant land in the central part of the city.

The 30 acres owned by the city is called Bedford Commons, bounded by Texas 183 on the south, Bedford Road on the north, Forest Ridge Drive on the west and Central Drive on the east.

On Tuesday, the council chose the firm Old Town Development of Roanoke to oversee creating a hub for shopping, restaurants, residential and space to spend time outdoors.

During the council meeting, Mayor Michael Boyter said: “We clearly want something wow. We want something special, we want something that doesn’t exist around here.”

Justin Springfield, a partner with Old Town Development, showed a concept plan featuring townhomes, offices, stores and a square where people can gather, but he told council members the plan isn’t set in stone and that he wants to work with the community to create a “civic gem.”

Andrea Roy, Bedford’s director of development, said in an interview that the idea is to create a downtown, a gathering place with coffee shops, restaurants and outdoor patios.

“We are going to be moving forward. People will see activity; people will see things happen,” she said.

Bedford Commons will be developed in phases, starting with approximately 21 acres.

Roy added that Old Town Development specializes in boutique projects.

“They don’t take a cookie-cutter approach,” she said. “They look at the community on what we want to see.”

In a letter to the city, Old Town Development wrote: “Bedford, located at the geographical center of the DFW Metroplex, is a city without a traditional Main Street or a similarly minded mixed-use district. As other cities around the Metroplex revitalize their own downtowns with new restaurants and publicly funded infrastructure improvements, Bedford needs a place of its own that will allow its people to enjoy the same type of entertainment experience without having to travel to another city to find it.”

Before they voted to approve selecting the developer, council members insisted that it’s time to get things right with Bedford Commons.

Previously, plans for the land were met with controversy because they included apartments that residents didn’t want to see.

The community fought the proposal saying that Bedford did not need more apartments.

Council member Ruth Culver said Bedford Commons is a “special” project.

“You have my blessing, but we are going to put your feet to the fire.”