Of Note: Brazos Commons has received approval for $7.9 million in public support from the Waco Tax Increment Finance board for its $129 million riverfront development project along the Brazos River in downtown Waco. Developers Joe Beard and Rick Sheldon are slated to begin construction of the mixed-use project in late 2018, which will include retail, residential and an 11-story Drury hotel that includes 8,000 square-feet of conference space and a rooftop bar.

Market:  Local/Regional

Of Note:  The City of Waco has chosen to move forward with the negotiation of a development agreement with The Civic Center, LLC for its Heritage Square property, located in the heart of downtown Waco. Civic Center's proposal includes multiple phases including an urban forest, underground parking, retail space and 500,000 square feet of Class-A office space. If the project moves forward, it will begin with infrastructure improvements in downtown that will service this project and other areas in the vicinity. 

Civic Center Rendering:

Of Note: Empereon Marketing, LLC, a leader in contact center solutions, is locating a 68,312-square-foot Customer Support Center at 1205 N. Loop 340 in Greater Waco. The center will provide business support services for Fortune 500 clients. Hiring is expected to begin in December with 500 employees, growing to 750 within two years. The Cities of Lacy Lakeview and Waco along with McLennan County worked in partnership to provide incentive support to the project, making it a true regional collaboration. Empereon will invest $2 million in the facility.  

Of Note: Trane Co. has chosen Waco as the location of a national distribution facility. The 66,000 square-foot building is located at the Texas State Technical College Airport. The building will serve as a main point of distribution for Trane's HVAC units, serving both the Texas and national markets. The company has invested nearly $1 million to upgrade the building and employs 16 individuals. In addition to the distribution facility, Trane operates a manufacturing facility in Greater Waco, near McGregor, producing water source heat pumps.

Of Note: FoamTec, an industry leader in the supply of particulate control for clean rooms, has opened a 15,600 square-foot distribution facility in Waco. The company provides material support for both the pharmaceutical and semi-conductor industries, making its Waco location in central Texas an ideal location for serving its customer base. The facility currently employs 10 distribution and professional associates. 

Of Note: Advanced Sheet Metal, a subsidiary of service company Lochridge Priest, has established a manufacturing facility at 2901 E. Industrial Blvd. in Waco.  The production facility will include engineering and design services along with state-of-the-art precision metal fabrication equipment to support the evolving needs of its customers. ASM will provide production support for industrial, commercial and residential clients, in an array of industries. 

Greater Waco, located in McLennan County, Texas, along the Interstate 35 corridor is home to more than 14,000 companies, 241,505 people and a regional workforce of approximately 320,000. Greater Waco's centralized location with access, to Dallas and Austin (90 miles) and Houston and San Antonio (185 miles), make it a regional center of economic activity and an ideal community for businesses and individuals.

Since 2006, Greater Waco has seen more than $1.3 billion in new industrial capital investments and $596 million in riverfront and downtown development, making it an attractive place to live, work and play. Greater Waco is landscaped with top-rated higher educational institutions, including Baylor University, McLennan Community College, Texas State Technical College - Waco, Tarleton State University and Texas Tech University.

The Greater Waco Chamber leads economic development efforts for the area focusing on talent development and targeting five key industries for growth: Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defense, Health Care, Professional and Financial Services and Supply Chain Management.

For more information, visit WacoChamber.com.