City of Waco, Texas

Elm Avenue Improvement PlanCity of Waco, Texas

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Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Existing Context 1Figure 1 2

Plan Guidelines 3

Future Urban Form 4The West-End 4“Main Street” 6The East-End 7Figure 2 9

Public Improvement Recommendations 7General Recommendations 9Streetscape Principles 11Gateways 12Urban Development Guidelines


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Introduction

The Elm Avenue study area is located in the center of theBrazos River Corridor and includes the blocks along ElmAvenue from Martin Luther King Boulevard to Clifton Street.In several instances adjacent properties outside the planningarea are also mentioned in the master plan because of thestrong linkage or interface they have with the futuredevelopment of Elm Avenue.

The goal of this master plan is to set a vision for publicimprovements, specifically streetscape enhancements that cansupport development along Elm Avenue. In order to develop arealistic plan for the area it is important to understand thephysical context influencing the current image anddevelopment pattern of Elm Avenue.

Existing Context

Historically Elm Avenue has been an important place in thedevelopment of Waco as a city. Currently, the area is intransition and its identity is shaped by the condition of theproperties and buildings along the avenue. A combination ofindustrial oriented activities, underutilized commercialproperties and modest single-family homes are predominantthroughout the area. Several businesses remain viable butare scattered along the corridor either because of a strongcommitment to their location or to support the area (Figure 1).The Quinn Campus represents a strong desire to rejuvenate

As an extension of downtown, Elm Avenue should be a placethat attracts people from adjacent neighborhoods and beyond.


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Figure 1: Disconnected uses characterize the development pattern along Elm Avenue.


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the area by creating a mixed-use activity destination throughadaptive reuse of the former college campus.

The study area is currently separated from the west side ofthe Brazos River by the industrial nature of land uses alongMartin Luther King Boulevard adjacent to the river corridor.Pedestrian activity can be encouraged in this area by makingenhanced connections to and from the Brazos River Corridor.Additionally, this area can function not only as a destination foractivity but also as a gateway into downtown

The Suspension Bridge represents a strong historical elementthat can serve as a linkage between downtown and Elm Avenue.

since Elm Avenue connects directly to the Texas Highway 6 /Interstate 35 interchange and Martin Luther King Boulevardserves as a primary connection between downtown Waco andthe Waco Airport.

Plan Guidelines

Because of the location of the Elm Avenue study area withinthe context of the community, several key guidelines begin toprovide a framework for public improvements and futuredevelopment. These guidelines include the recognition that:

1. Elm Avenue serves a dual role as a destination place inand of itself, and as a gateway into downtown.

2. The recommendations of the Brazos Corridor DevelopmentPlan and the implementation efforts taking place are criticalto the success of efforts to improve Elm Avenue.

3. Existing viable land use and development must be dealtwith in a sensitive and strategic manner. Right-of-wayacquisition, public / private redevelopment efforts, propertyvalues and affordable housing are tied together and needto be addressed proactively and fairly if implementation isto be successful.

4. Quinn Campus redevelopment efforts will dramaticallyinfluence the future of Elm Avenue.

5. Improvements and development in the Elm Avenue studyarea should not just attract people from other areas ofWaco but also support the needs of the residents of


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adjacent neighborhoods. These improvements will needto reflect the quality, type and density values of thecommunity.

6. Elm Avenue must establish its own identity within thecontext of the community, yet improvements need tocomplement the goals and improvements made along theBrazos River Corridor.

7. Linkages to the Brazos River Corridor need to bemaximized.

8. Daytime and nighttime activity impacts the perception ofElm Avenue as not only a desirable place to be but also asafe place to be.

Future Urban Form

Figure 2 depicts the general urban form and communitycontext envisioned for the Elm Avenue study area. Threedistinct sections of the corridor are indicated and set thephysical framework for improvement and development effortsalong Elm Avenue.

The West-EndThis section of the corridor is located between Martin LutherKing Boulevard and Archer Street and its character isimpacted by existing industrial activities. It is the front door toElm Avenue from the Brazos River Corridor.

One role of the West End should be inviting people fromBrazos River Corridor into the Elm Avenue Corridor.Connections to the Suspension Bridge and the trail need to beconvenient and safe to encourage pedestrian use.Additionally, the Washington Avenue and Franklin Avenuebridges are critical not only to automobile circulation but alsoto pedestrian movements and aesthetic character.

Another role of the West End is as an inviting regionaldestination. The intersections of Martin Luther King Boulevardwith Elm Avenue and Taylor Avenue should be enhanced toassist with pedestrian crossing, wayfinding and gatewayelements.

Public enhancements can improve the West-End andassist with pedestrian circulation.


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In general the future land use and development pattern shouldfollow the recommendations of The Brazos CorridorDevelopment Plan and incorporate a series of community andregional activity anchors and destinations. The historic depotblock bounded by Martin Luther King Boulevard, TaylorAvenue and Bridge Street lends itself to potential mixed-usedevelopment including residential development in town homeor loft formats as part of a larger development project.

In the future, land use along this section of Elm Avenue caninclude a mix of the viable commercial uses that exist today

and commercial uses that support the development of futureactivity nodes. These new uses would likely be restaurant andentertainment oriented to attract visitors from Brazos RiverCorridor to Elm Avenue and to retain people attending eventsat new activity venues in the study area.

Existing Proposed

Through design and development guidelines new developmentin the West-End can reflect the desired character of Elm Avenue


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“Main Street”The heart of the Elm Avenue study area is best defined by theterm “main street”. This section of the corridor contains avariety of one and two story commercial buildings built at anurban density. Many of these buildings are vacant but severalare home to successful small businesses, institutions andpublic activities.

Many structures in the “Main Street” section can be renovatedfor mixed-use development.

These successful businesses are scattered along the “MainStreet” section of Elm Avenue from Archer Street to CherryStreet. Vacant and underutilized buildings and propertiesseparate these businesses physically. Additionally, somerehabilitation and redevelopment efforts have been madealong this portion of Elm Avenue. The combination of the

public library and County office buildings between Spring andCherry Streets has created a public use activity anchor at theeast end of this section of Elm Avenue. This anchor shouldremain and be strengthened through the addition andexpansion of public uses in the future.

Future development should reflect the character and scale of the existing buildings.

Unfortunately, new development has typically been done in anopportunistic manner following a suburban land developmentpattern. This approach has served to create breaks in the“main street” character. In the future, development should beaccomplished in a manner that is more urban in characterreflecting the building scale and location of the existingstorefronts.

The structures along Elm Avenue should incorporate a mixtureof uses, with commercial shops and retail activity that supportthe needs of the adjacent neighborhood location on the ground


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floors of buildings. Office and residential use would be locatedon upper floors of the structures.

Renovated structures should contain a variety of uses with themost active use being on the ground floor.

Behind the structures along Elm Avenue there is anabundance of vacant land and underutilized off street parkingarea. These areas can become places for town homeresidential development and district parking in the future. Aneffective combination of new housing and redesigned parkingareas can help attract new and retain existing residents. As aresult, adjacent neighborhoods become more stable;established single family areas are buffered from commercialimpacts; and supplemental parking is provided to avoid theneed for on-site surface parking. The changes will strengthen

market trade area thus supporting appropriate commercialdevelopment for the area.

Town homes can be an effective use of vacant property as atransition between commercial uses on Elm Avenue and

adjacent neighborhoods.


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The East -EndFrom Cherry Street to Clifton Street, the East-End is anchoredby the Quinn Campus. This redevelopment project can bring arenewed energy to the area by providing employment andeducation opportunities to citizens in the Elm Avenue area andgreater Waco.

The goal in this segment of the corridor is to strengthen theexisting neighborhoods. Currently, the East-End is primarilyresidential in character and should remain that way. Somecommercial activity is located at the intersections of ElmAvenue with Forrest Street, and Elm Avenue with CliftonStreet.

Such commercial activity should be limited in size and scale inorder to minimize impacts on the surrounding residential area.Also, too great an expansion of commercial activity at theselocations may weaken the commercial development efforts inthe “Main Street” portion of the corridor. Infill housing onvacant parcels and housing rehabilitation efforts should help toimprove the residential neighborhoods.

Infill housing in the East-End should reflect the character ofexisting residential development.


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Figure 2: Future Urban Form


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Improvement Recommendations

The future urban form sets the framework for consideringprivate development and public improvements. This section ofthe plan focuses on the improvements that can be made bythe public sector in support of community commitment andprivate investment to the Elm Avenue Corridor. Theserecommendations are a framework that is important fordefining the character and identity of Elm Avenue.

Several key urban design elements and concepts areaddressed to assist in promoting the area as a gateway toBrazos River Corridor and as a destination in and of itself.

General RecommendationsThe recommendations below are meant to address thegeneral character of public improvements along Elm Avenueand approximately a half to full block length of the crossstreets that intersect with Elm Avenue.

1. Retain on-street parking along the entire length of thecorridor.

2. Retain the current traffic lane configuration along the entirecorridor.

3. Replace the existing street and pedestrian lighting with thesame light furnishings as on the West Side of the BrazosRiver Corridor or select a lighting standard that will reflectthe unique built environment of the area.

4. Future streetscape furnishings should be similar to thoseon the West Side of the Brazos River Corridor. Thesefurnishings would be applied in the West-End and MainStreet sections of Elm Avenue. The East-End would nothave furnishings beyond the streetlights and traffic signals.

5. Reconstruct street pavement, curbs, gutters and sidewalksto meet existing improvement standards. Retain limestonecurbs as feasible. Utilize other materials (brick, limestone,color concrete, etc.) as streetscape accents in crosswalks,ADA ramps, sidewalks, and tree planters. These accentsshould complement materials used on Austin Avenue butshould not replicate those features.

6. Street trees should be of large caliper (6 to 8 inches)limited to key locations – anchoring corners of blocks, atbreaks in buildings, gateways, etc. These trees should beplanted in tree wells that are sized appropriately(approximately 500 cubic feet) to accommodate the fullgrowth of the tree and plantings that can add seasonalcolor to the area. The tree wells should be irrigated.

7. Stylized permanent metal banners should be placed on thelight fixtures. These banner elements should reflect aunique quality for Elm Avenue. Each could be anindividual piece of public art or they all could be the samepattern. Supplemental seasonal or special event fabricbanners should be place on light fixtures in the East-Endand “Main Street” portions of Elm Avenue up to QuinnCampus at Forrest / Garrison Street.


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8. Above ground utilities should be dealt with on a block byblock basis. The removal of above ground utilities to newlocations or underground will need to be determined byadjacent redevelopment project needs and streetscapeapplication requirements. If the utilities are to be movedthey should go in alleys or other rights-of-way / easementsrunning parallel to Elm Avenue.

9. Gateway and wayfinding features should be limited to keyintersections along the corridor.

10. Redevelopment and rehabilitation efforts should occurusing design and development guidelines that complementthe character of the streetscape improvements and reflectthe desired character and history of the Elm Avenue area.

11. When the time is right, consider the development of apublic park or community gathering place located alongElm Avenue. Currently, the block between Pleasant andPeach Streets could incorporate such a place. This openspace could have room for neighborhood block parties,small art fairs or food festivals, historic / interpretiveelements unique to Elm Avenue, public art, interactive playequipment for neighborhood children, etc. This is a placefor the immediate community to use.

12. Taylor Avenue from Martin Luther King Boulevard to thePleasant Street should be enhanced to a standardequivalent to that of Elm Avenue. This linkage to ElmAvenue is critical given the current traffic pattern crossingthe Brazos River and the proposed urban form in the area.


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Streetscape PrinciplesStreetscape improvements generally occur within road rights-of-way. The intent of the streetscape is to enhance the visualcharacter of an area in a manner that does not interfere withits functional aspects. Improvements should:

• Assist in defining the character of the area.• Serve as a transition from the roadway to private

development.• Accommodate safe and convenient pedestrian movement.• Retain maximum visibility from the street to the storefront.• Allow for businesses to extend their business beyond the

storefront to increase activity along the street.

The residential character of the East-End requires astreetscape treatment that is less intensive than the remainder

of Elm Avenue.

Avenue.Typical streetscape application in commercial areas of Elm


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GatewaysGateway features or monuments contribute to a sense ofplace, providing visual cues that announce the arrival into anarea. These visual cues help to inform visitors that the ElmAvenue Corridor is a distinct district and also to assist peoplecoming into downtown Waco with a sense of arrival. Gatewaymarkers are intended to provide a substantial landmark in thearea and reinforce the area’s identity.

Two types of gateways are identified for the Elm Avenuecorridor. Level 1 gateways incorporated regional wayfindingelements. They not only announce the arrival to Elm Avenuebut also recognize the regional context of that location byidentifying the direction of the convention center, the airport,the Brazos River Corridor, and other regional destinations.Recommended Level 1gateway locations include:

• Elm Avenue at Martin Luther King Boulevard• Taylor Avenue at Martin Luther King Boulevard• Elm Avenue at Clifton Street

Conceptual Level 1 Gateway applications.

Documents

City of Waco, Texas