The Bell District redevelopment project is one of the City of Cedar Park’s major focus areas in the improvement and revitalization of the Bell Boulevard corridor (US Highway 183). Bell Blvd is the main north south roadway through Cedar Park. With the completion of the 183 Toll, some traffic was alleviated from passing traffic though Cedar Park. However, for local traffic, Bell Blvd is still a well traveled roadway.
Many businesses along Bell Blvd had been there for decades while others have come and gone. The stretch of Bell Blvd between Cypress Creek Road and Whitestone Blvd had no real sense of identity and didn’t create a welcoming, community oriented environment. Since Bell Blvd is primarily a through traffic roadway, it has never been considered as a destination to locals. This is something the City of Cedar Park began to address in 2014, with the vision of creating a new downtown of Cedar Park.
The planning process started in 2014, with input from local residents, business owners, developers and City of Cedar Park officials. Based on the studies conducted and local feedback, a master redevelopment plan was presented to the City Council and adopted in August of 2015. See the Full Master Plan here. Since then, the City has been working to bring this vision to reality. Many old and dilapidated buildings were removed to make way for the new. Change is always a challenge and many long time business owners had to close or move to make way for the project. That is likely what took the longest to iron out before moving forward.
The first phase of the Bell District was the Bell Blvd realignment project which moved Bell Blvd closer to the Metroline track creating more of a throughway for traffic. The new look includes steel panels to visually block the view of the rail road tracks. They add a sculptural touch to the roadway along with new landscaping.
The second phase has involved adding beautiful murals to enhance the look of the area as it’s under construction. Infrastructure and roads have been underway in the area to make way for new development.
The anchor of the Bell District will be the brand new, state of the art Cedar Park Public Library along with 16 acres of green space. The Cedar Park Library Foundation is currently raising funds to enhance Library offerings and bring even more exciting programming to the Library in the new facility. Please support this effort by visiting their website and making a donation. Or volunteer for some of their wonderful programs.
After the completion of the new Library and park areas, more development will infill the Bell District. Planned amenities and offerings include shopping, dining, entertainment, housing and more. Stay tuned as this project develops!
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