A bi-monthly newsletter investigating the people, places, and policies shaping Waco’s economy.

I'm Austin Meek, Vox of Waco Business News. Listen to "Downtown Depot," my radio show and podcast tracking the ins and outs of Waco business, live on Fridays at 11:30AM on 103.3 KWBU-FM. You can also stream previous episodes anytime via Apple Podcasts, NPR, and Waco Business News.

The Waco Business Newsletter: May 15, 2019

LOCAL LINKS

Hector Sabido was my most recent guest on Downtown Depot. Yesterday, he was officially sworn in as the Waco City Council representative for District 2. He takes the place of Alice Rodriguez who served on the Council for the last 24 years. (Waco Business News)
Chef Corey McEntyre, of Milo All Day, discussed the developing "food hub" in East Waco that aims to be a gathering place for Waco's food-based businesses. (Waco Business News)
For "The Small Business Spotlight" in May, I featured Erick Gama of Rufi's Cocina, a North Waco restaurant making Michoacanse-style Mexican food. I brought Erick with me for my monthly TV appearance on KWTX's morning show with Taina Maya and Pete Sousa. (KWTX)
House appraisals continue to clime in McLennan County, according to Tommy Witherspoon of the Trib. Residential real estate expert Austin Hooper tackles this topic in depth this Friday on Downtown Depot at 11:30 on 103.3 KWBU-FM. (The Waco Tribune-Herald)

OTHER LINKS

A list of the top 10 U.S. highways that should be torn down. I haven't personally seen many of these but the gameplan for each is similar: demolish the highway, convert the space into a boulevard, upzone the surrounding areas to allow for greater density and commercial activity, and then enjoy the value capture. A plan like this would generate revenue for the city for years to come. (Streets Blog USA)
Detroit is back, as signaled by the most expensive residence in city history, $4.9 million, hitting the market. Its clear that the revitalization efforts by Dan Gilbert and many others have taken hold. Last year, I examined the many similarities between Waco and Detroit in my article, "A Tale of Two Cities." (Detroit Free Press)
Dallas-Ft. Worth, Houston, and Austin were ranked the 1st, 2nd, and 4th best national metroplexes for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) jobs in 2018 in terms of economic vitality and affordability. (American Enterprise Institute)
The Texas economy gains speed after a year-end slowdown, according to first quarter data from the Dallas Fed. (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas)
In first quarter 2019, more new warehouse and distribution space was being built in North Texas than in any market in the country, according to Avison Young. (The Dallas Morning News)
You've heard it before: "These days, people don't make things that last." It's true that, in our disposable culture, little thought is given to durability...what happens when we apply this mindset to our communities? (Strong Towns)