Magic 11th Street recently gained a new partner in neighborhood redevelopment as Veritex Community Bank broke ground for a new bank facility to be situated at the corner of 11th and Main streets, just a few blocks from the historic Travis College Hill residential area.
“We could have put this bank anywhere we wanted to,” Veritex Executive Vice-President Jamie Miller told the audience gathered on the future bank site. He added that many other spots were considered.
Miller, who grew up in Garland, said that the chosen site “fulfills a dream” for him and that he always wanted to be on Main Street.
The bank’s address will be 1001 Main Street, across from another new commercial endeavor, the law offices of Cynthia A. Spencer, situated on the southwest corner of 11th and Main streets.
The bank currently operates at 622 Clara Barton Boulevard, diagonal to the front door of the closed Baylor Scott & White Garland campus.
“We’ve been at the front door of Baylor Hospital back when it was ‘a thing’,” Miller said. “We saw it coming [hospital closing] and started looking for options.”
Miller said the new location will “blend Main Street and Wall Street.” He expects a spring 2019 completion.
Three historic 11th Street dwellings, one the home of Garland Mayor Rufus Rupard, formerly occupied the 3/4-acre site of the new bank, which is bounded by Main, North 11th State and North 10th streets. Miller arranged for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Garland to receive the three dwellings through a donation.
Rich Buquet, executive director of HFHGG, said they will be used as residences for veterans and their families. Two have been moved to South 6th Street and the third to 1309 Burke. Buquet praised Miller for this decision.
“It may have been more expedient to knock them down,” he said.
Buquet thanked Miller for his patience while details were worked out to make the houses “a preservation of that portion of Garland.” He quoted Psalms 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” He said that the manner in which Miller was building the bank was enabling others to be helped.
Those turning shovels of dirt at the groundbreaking included Garland Mayor Lori Barnett Dodson, Council Member Robert Vera, Garland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Paul Mayer and officials with Spring Valley Construction Company.
Photos by Kay Moore.