Mike Copeland: Ex-Burlington spot sells; Building permit roundup; Economic development chief resigns; Holiday travel
An Indiana businessman bought the former Burlington Coat Factory building at 5050 W. Waco Drive, and an Indianapolis real estate agent marketing the site said it could become home to a family entertainment center.
Dan Sharrer, founder and managing broker at Capstone Commercial Realty, said his client, Jeremy Hamilton, pursues big-box commercial space, and the 76,212-square-foot Burlington building falls into that category. Sharrer said he has received inquiries from potential users interested in converting space, maybe 45,000 square feet, to a family fun center that perhaps features trampolines, arcade games and a pizza parlor.
Burlington now operates at Central Texas Marketplace.
In the Centerpoint Shopping Center that shares a parking lot with Hamilton's building, Alexia Gallegos has signed a lease on 4,400 square feet where she hopes to open PlayTime Waco, a venue where toddlers to 12-year-olds can play or engage in learning activities such as music class. Gallegos said she has twins nearly 2 years old, and would appreciate such a place.
Commercial real estate specialist Pat Farrar showed her the space, "and I fell in love with it immediately," Gallegos said. It previously was occupied by a similar concept, Little Gym, that did not survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I am pretty excited to see some of these type businesses making a comeback post COVID," Farrar said by email.
Centerpoint also is home to a Chuck E. Cheese location, with its characteristic combination of pizza and kids entertainment, and an Urban Air Adventure and Trampoline Park operates not far away, at 5701 W. Waco Drive, in a former Best Buy building.
Chip, Chip, Hooray
Chip Gaines, possibly best known as Joanna Gaines' spouse, turned 50 years old Thursday. Magnolia-branded locations citywide celebrated with special promotions. Magnolia Press Coffee Co. offered free black coffee. Magnolia Table, on Waco's traffic circle, featured "Chip's Birthday Breakfast," consisting of two eggs cooked to order, thick-cut peppered bacon, breakfast potatoes, two pancakes, and Jo's buttermilk biscuit. Silos Baking Co. rolled out a limited edition treat called The DoubleHeader, which consisted of vanilla buttercream icing between two chocolate chip cookies.
Recommended gifts for the occasion were copies of Chip's book, "No Pain, No Gaines," a Demo Day carabiner mug, a leather Magnolia baseball, and a Katy Ballpark T-shirt. By Thursday afternoon, all Demo Day hammers were gone.
Building permit roundup
Baylor Scott & White Health will have a presence in the booming U.S. Highway 84 corridor, having secured a permit valued at $7.14 million to place a medical office building at 101 Sunwest Blvd. That places it near the Sunwest Village subdivision and McGregor Executive Airport.
Staff are expected to occupy the 12,324-square-foot space by June.
A permit without an assigned value will allow restroom renovations on floors one through six in Wells Fargo Tower, 1105 Wooded Acres Drive.
Walmart apparently will take an elephant-eating approach to creating a $350 million milk processing plant in Robinson. It has secured three permits to build a fuel island, fire pump building and guard shack at 750 John Bowden Parkway, where the plant is scheduled to open in 2026.
Economic development chief resigns
Danny Chavez has resigned as the city of Waco's first chief economic development officer. The city announced in May it had hired the Walton Beach, Florida, native who had participated in economic development efforts in McKinney, San Antonio and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Waco City Manager Bradley Ford, who had worked with Chavez in Burleson, wrote glowingly of the hire, saying: "He has established relationships with site selectors all around the country, and I expect that will be a 'value add' to our regional economic development efforts." He said Chavez would also lead economic development efforts related to downtown.
In an email response to questions Thursday, Ford said, "Danny resigned earlier this month, and I am looking forward to seeing where his next steps take him. Though his time with us was brief, he and the economic development team initiated several projects that will benefit Waco well into the future. ... We're fortunate to have a strong in-house team here at the City, along with our partnership with the Greater Waco Chamber, so we're well positioned to keep moving forward."
Chavez was to make $210,000 annually.
Holiday travel
Attention, American Airlines passengers, including those flying out of Waco to link up with American at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
The Fort Worth-based carrier predicts it will carry 8.3 million customers during the Thanksgiving holiday season, from Nov. 21 to Dec. 3, which represents 500,000 more customers than during the same period last year, according to an American Airlines press release.
"The most-traveled day will be Sunday, Dec. 1, with the second most-traveled day slated for Monday, Dec. 2," the press release says.
November business follows an October performance that had American Airlines bragging about canceling fewer flights than any of its major competitors and beating its own records for on-time departures and arrivals.
Talking Thanksgiving turkey
A survey by LendingTree, a financial services company, shows Americans facing tough choices as they prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving. The results show that people hosting Thanksgiving get-togethers will spend $431 on food, drinks and decorations, about 19% more than last year. About 60% of celebrants say inflation is impacting their Thanksgiving plans. 27% will change food choices, 26% will use coupons more, and 9% will not host due to costs.
Six in 10 potential hosts expect their guests to offer money or an item to offset expenses, and 25% say they may reconsider an invitation next year if a guest arrives empty-handed, reveals polling of 2,000 Americans.
