City staff provided an update on the City Center project at the Aug. 3 City Council work session. A video showing the progress in the area was presented and the information shared included:
- More than 75 of the new apartment units in the northeast section of the redevelopment opened in May and infrastructure in that area has been updated.
- Leased percentage of the entire development is 74 percent.
- City Center Tract B project apartments will open in the first quarter of 2016. The three-story building will feature apartments on the second and third floors. The first floor will house the city of Garland Economic Development offices.
- There will be two courtyards for the apartment residents.
- Utility improvements are being made on the remainder of the development.
- Phase II of the apartments and the parking garage will open in the fourth quarter of this year.
- A new loading dock has been added at the back of city hall.
- The grand re-opening of city hall, after its reskinning, will be during the second quarter of 2016.
- Preparations for a dog park on State Street have begun.
- There are two main entrances to the parking garage which provides 330 parking spaces and will ultimately be shared by downtown visitors, city hall employees and apartment residents.
- There will be a pedestrian corridor linking the parking garage to Fifth Street.
- Utilities and pavement improvements have been made on the south side of Sixth Street with only a few sidewalks and crosswalks to be finished.
- The intersection of State and Fifth streets and State Street between Third and Sixth streets will reopen to traffic this month.
- Also in the second quarter of 2016, Fifth Street between Austin and State streets will re-open.
- Design has been completed for the Granville Arts Center plaza and will be completed first quarter, 2016.
- Landscape improvements and additions at Heritage Crossing will be completed during the second quarter of 2016