Growing responsibly

The City of Decatur’s future is under construction this year.

As Decatur nears the answer to the crucial question of how it will adapt to growth, there are indicators that the growth is already here.

Decatur ISD’s enrollment is increasing to the point that some campuses have surpassed capacity. Sales tax collections continue to boom and parking lots at the Eagles Landing Business Park have employees filling up spots.

Manufacturers are bringing their businesses to Decatur, and families are making the city their home — and not just a place to commute from every day. And with that job creation, more housing is on the way, with framing going up for an apartment complex at Rose Avenue and U.S. 380, and single family housing developments working their way through the city.

The evident indicators appear to be the tip of the iceberg, even through economic factors have slightly dampened the frenetic pace of new development. After years of studies and planning, the city is set to implement work on capital projects to serve its longtime residents and new neighbors.

“Housing projects continue to be presented to us,” Mara said. “Developers want to be in Decatur, Texas, and they make that pretty clear. They’re attracted to strong towns with good schools. We’re an attractive place to live and work.”

From plan to progress

In 2021 and 2022, the Decatur City Council and city staff worked to form a blueprint to meet pressing needs in the community over the next handful of years, issuing $33.433 million in certificates of obligation.

The capital projects address water, wastewater, public safety, park improvements — all in the name of preparing for growth.

The list of projects include: $6.1 million in water system projects; $4.4 million in wastewater system projects; an $18.2 million police department building; $1.3 million for land acquisition; $2.4 million in park improvements and $942,000 in library improvements.

Today, you can see the evidence of that investment beginning to form.

Along Thompson Street, the city’s $5.6 million elevated water storage tank is nearing completion. The city has finished work on the concrete portion of the tower, and is awaiting the bowl that will store the water.

“We’re going from a quarter-million gallons to 1-million gallons of storage,” Mara said.

The City of Decatur also celebrated park improvements in 2022.

Last April, the city council approved a $817,701 contract with Child’s Play to replace the current playground at Harmon Park that was built in 2005. By winter, families started to flock to the new playground equipment. The city also collaborated with the Decatur EDC, Wise Health System and Blue Cross Blue Shield to bring a fitness court to Kenny Renshaw Park. The park held its grand opening in November.

On the public safety front, the city has recently checked off several important boxes for the future Decatur Police Department station.

This week, the council approved zoning changes for the police station site and selected SEDALCO Construction Services as the Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) for the project.

The city and its architects, Brinkley Sargent Wiginton Architects, will look to build the station on the 7.89-acre property near the Wise Heritage Museum off Charles Street.

The station, being designed to house a police department that will serve a steadily growing community, is expected to be completed in 2025.

“Coming in mid-year, there were a lot of really positive and much-needed projects in the pipe,” Mara said. “Those bonded projects were already underway, and we were terribly successful on those projects.

Things like that are going to be more and more necessary as the community grows.”

Currently, there are approximately 1,300 homes from proposed developments in various stages that could be built in the city.

With the city continually looking to address growth and infrastructure, the City of Decatur and related entities received good financial news in December that could help the city adapt to additional rooftops down the road.

The city, Decatur Economic Development Corporation (Decatur EDC) and Wise County Water Supply District received improved ratings from Moody’s Investor Service. The ratings gauge an entity’s ability to pay off debt obligations without consideration of any pledge, security or structural feature.

“In the next five years, we’re going to seriously consider expanding the wastewater treatment plant, and we realize we’re going to need facilities over the coming years — fire stations, a municipal building, this all will come up at some point,” Mara said in December. “These are all good things to help line us up to make a good decision when the time comes and be competitive in the bond process.”

From residential to commercial, signs are pointing to more growth in the city.

Before last year, the most permits approved by the City of Decatur in the past five years was 629 in 2019. The valuation of the buildings was $30 million that year. In 2022, the city approved 686 building permits worth $64 million.

A large part of that valuation is connected to Eagles Landing Business Park.

Creating jobs

Decatur Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Kevin Holzbog said 50 percent of Eagles Landing Business Park is already committed, with high interest from businesses on the remaining, shovel ready acreage on the property.

“We could be 100 percent committed, but we’re being really intentional on the types of businesses we want to bring to Decatur,” Holzbog said.

Currently, the business park is set to bring in around 300 jobs from the committed projects spanning from five companies — Cardinal Paint and Powder, Aqualine, Omega (parent company Goff Capital), Industrial Diesel and GT Products. GT Products, a silicone manufacturer, reached a deal in February with the Decatur EDC to move its facilities from Grapevine which represents a $21 million investment, with taxable sales in a 10 year period by the project expected to top $6.2 million.

Holzbog said some of those companies have already committed to expansion at the park.

“The EDC is focused on primary job creation,” said Holzbog, later describing primary jobs as ones that create a product that is bought and used outside of where it’s produced. “Those jobs drive retail demand, real estate and the service industry. All of the creature comforts that all of us want, those are supported by primary jobs. These are real funds coming into the city’s tax revenues, at the school district and to the county. Those funds result in quality of life improvements like parks and maintaining roads.”

As far as retail development, Holzbog said there’s no shortage of interest in retail looking to locate to Decatur. What’s slowing it down is available space.

One potential landing spot is Retail Connection’s possible development, Decatur Crossroads.

The development on 87.58 acres of prime commercial real estate between the major thoroughfares of U.S. 380 and U.S. 81/287 on the north side of Decatur is coveted by retailers. However, interest rates have kept those discussions at the discussion level.

“That development group is interested in the retail demand that our market has, there’s a list of retailers that want to be in our market but trying to find a site for them is difficult,” Holzbog said. “Inventory is tight, that development group recognizes that. Interest rate environment has slowed down new retail development.”

Still, Holzbog hinted that a retail announcement should be coming in 2023.

“With our supply and demand, it’s only going to get more attractive for retailers,” he said. “The supply is not keeping up.”

Looking forward

Decatur leadership is optimistic about its future. Both Mara and Holzbog acknowledged the opportunity Decatur has been presented.

With growth patterns, 2023 is another crucial year to take advantage and shape the city’s future.

And each are confident in Decatur’s prospects, acknowledging it wouldn’t be possible without their staffs and the Decatur City Council and EDC board.

“We have a forward thinking council that’s committed to growing responsibly while holding on to the many qualities that make Decatur great,” Mara said. “I’m proud of and enjoy so many good partnerships in the county and across our neighbor cities. I feel that leaning on each other as we wade through the coming year will be a key to our successes collectively.”