Thanks to the director of the city of College Station’s planning and development office for translating for WTAW News, two of the five takeaways the city council recently received for the future of the city’s Midtown District, which is bordered by the freeway, Rock Prairie Road, and William D. Fitch Parkway.
One of the takeaways from 75 participants attending a community meeting was creating along Midtown Drive something called a “walkable mixed-use spine”. Planning and development director Anthony Armstrong says Midtown Drive would act as the spine or “backbone” to the area and would primarily have a mixed use and “walkable environment” along it. Armstrong says a mixed use area is typically seen as commercial or office ground floors, with multifamily apartments or condo housing above. And examples of a “walking environment” given by Armstrong are shared use paths, wider sidewalks, narrow streets, overhangs on buildings and trees to provide shade. Armstrong says this would allow people to go from one business or site to another, or from a housing unit to a restaurant, shop, store, or other businesses.
Another takeaway from the community meeting was titled “Business Center Interior” providing something called “a civic anchor opportunity” and recreation. Armstrong says the reference to “Business Center Interior” is the city owned land where the data center was proposed. Out of the 200 acres, 80 acres are now set aside for the future public private sports complex. The city council was seeking community feedback on the remaining 120 acres. And the reference to “civic anchor opportunity” is generally something that the public views as a gathering place. Armstrong’s examples includes Veterans Park, Bachmann Park, city hall, and downtown Bryan.
Three other takeaways from the participants in the community meeting were (1) adding commercial, employment, and medical businesses along the freeway frontage road, (2) expanding parks and trail connections at Texas Independence Park, and (3) preserving a buffer or greenway at the edge of the Woodland Hills residential development.
Click HERE to read and download the College Station Midtown district area plan report.
Original story March 12, 2026:
In November of 2025, 75 people interested in the future of College Station’s Midtown district met with city staff.
Results of that gathering were shared at the last meeting of the city council on February 26th.
Click HERE to read and download the College Station Midtown district area plan report.
Boundaries of College Station’s Midtown are the freeway, Fitch, and Rock Prairie.
Heather Wade of the city’s planning and development office said one of three takeaways by participants dealt with streets…including an extension of Town Lake Drive to the freeway. There was also an opinion of other unidentified “targeted road improvements” “paired with a strong caution against creating new neighborhood cut through traffic.”
Participants considered more parks and recreation opportunities as a top priority, along with preserving wooded areas and open space.
The area includes the site of a proposed sports complex on city owned land behind the Costco store. Planning and development director Anthony Armstrong says participants were aware of the project. He said not all participants “were gung ho for baseball, but it wasn’t like this giant divisive topic.”
Click below to hear comments from the February 26, 2026 College Station city council meeting.