NORTH RICHLAND HILLS -- Plans to attract more shoppers to southern Boulevard 26, revitalize the area and improve access to nearby neighborhoods will get under way over the next few weeks.
The city has hired Schrickel, Rollins and Associates of Arlington and agreed to pay up to $67,750 to develop plans for Boulevard 26 at Glenview Drive and at Rufe Snow Drive.The City Council voted 6-0 in June, with Councilman Tito Rodriguez absent, to approve the agreement.The city is expected to coordinate with Richland Hills as Boulevard 26, also known as Texas 26, serves as a border between the cities."We're jointly hoping we can revitalize the entire Boulevard 26 corridor," said Matt Shaffstall, Richland Hills economic development specialist. "That's the overall goal."The plans, which should be ready in three to four months, will be the blueprint for an estimated $1 million intersection improvement project whose cost will be split between Richland Hills and North Richland Hills, said Mike Curtis, North Richland Hills managing director of development services.The Schrickel-Rollins plans will cover landscaping, irrigation, new crosswalks, drainage improvements, sidewalks and traffic signals for pedestrians. When completed, the cities should have a sense of direction for an area that city officials have for more than a decade said they want to revitalize.Boulevard 26 at Glenview and Rufe Snow is not blighted. Dozens of businesses line the roadway. And few storefronts are empty.With a cacophony of lighted signs and architectural styles, the area does not attract a lot of people looking to spend time shopping.A few miles up near Northeast Loop 820, North Richland Hills plans to build a new City Hall, with the hope that the project will spin off more development. Richland Hills for years has been looking for a developer for an empty site at Rufe Snow and Boulevard 26 after plans for a supermarket fell through.If the Texas Department of Transportation allows the city to oversee the construction bid process, then work could begin about 40 days after the plans are completed, Curtis said. Construction should take six months to a year, he said. Boulevard 26 is a state highway.Business owners and managers along the roadway hope something will happen to help drive shoppers to their stores."It's going to look really nice," said Isma Ali, manager of Wireless Toyz, a cellphone shop at Glenview and Boulevard 26. "We've got a lot of people who don't like this intersection. It's very confusing."Clara Barnes, one of the owners of Our Little House of Treasures gift shop, said her store doesn't get a lot of business from foot traffic outside of tenants who live in the apartment complex behind her shop."It sounds good to me," she said of the city's plans.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
