Community with a rural atmosphere sees more growth and mixed-use development
Mayor Todd Flippo can look out of his window at home and still see cattle roaming on undeveloped land.
But Flippo is seeing changes that are coming to Saginaw, and he’s taking on the challenge of managing growth while maintaining Saginaw’s small-town atmosphere.
Saginaw, with its roots in agriculture and railroads, is seeing several developments taking shape with new homes, apartments, restaurants and retail throughout the community with a population of around 25,000.
“I view this (development) as a crucial time for us,” Flippo said.
“We are going over the crest of the hill. The developments will increase our population and some really cool stuff and amenities are coming to Saginaw,” he said.
Work will start this year on four developments throughout the city.
Land is being cleared for apartments in the UCD development at Bailey Boswell and Blue Mound Road, said city manager Gabe Reaume. The development will feature retail and restaurants along with multi-family housing, he said.
Work will start this spring on the northeast corner of Bailey-Boswell Road and Saginaw Boulevard, on the Beltmill, a mixed-use walkable development with townhomes, apartments, age-restricted senior living, and smaller lot single-family homes. The development will also feature commercial, retail and open space, said Don Allen, a development partner at Lackland Holdings LLC.
The 115-acre development is on the site of the former Cranz Family Farm which was recently sold. Most of the land is in Fort Worth, but 115 acres are in Saginaw.
Allen said work will likely start this spring on utilities and other infrastructure for the Beltmill development.
Saginaw is an appealing location, Allen said.
When Saginaw began construction on an overpass over the railroad tracks and Business 287, “that really attracted our attention,” Allen said.
“The stars sort of aligned, so to speak,” he said. Allen said there is a lot of interest from builders for the single-family and multi-family homes.
Another development called The Square, which will also include apartments and restaurants, will be located north of the Walmart near Saginaw Boulevard and Old Decatur Road, Reaume said. The development will be on a street connecting Old Decatur and Saginaw Blvd., he said.
Saginaw is waiting for final approval from the Texas Department of Transportation for a traffic signal at Old Decatur Road before work can begin on The Square, Reaume said.
Reaume said the city created the Western Center Public Improvement District where another mixed-use development will be located. The development will have single and multi-family housing with restaurants and retail and will be on Western Center near Blue Mound Road.
The development will cater to younger professionals and families that want to downsize, he said.
Another development called The Edition of Saginaw will offer a retirement community, assisted living and skilled nursing for senior citizens.
Reaume said the city met with residents in 2018, and senior living and sit-down restaurants were important priorities to them.
“There is a lot of excitement in Saginaw right now,” Reaume said. “It just kind of happened that these projects are coming together soon.”
Saginaw’s growth is indicative of the growth taking place in north Fort Worth, Reaume said.
Meanwhile, Flippo said he tells people to move to Saginaw because of the low taxes and close-knit community.
“But we are growing, and my job is to manage this growth and make it positive,” Flippo said. He added that the city has been “picky” when it comes to development.
“We don’t want just houses; we don’t want just apartments. Give me a park with a beautiful pond next to walking trails,” Flippo said.