A ‘vibrant, pedestrian-friendly’ community is on the way to this Fort Worth suburb

Old Town Keller is getting a new look.

The Keller City Council recently approved a contract for improvements along Elm Street. They will include:

▪ Widening and reconstruction of the road.

▪ Drainage improvements, including an upgrade to curb-and-gutter.

▪ Addition of street parking.

▪ Replacement of water and sewer lines.

▪ New streetlights, sidewalks, seating, landscaping and signs.

▪ Surface parking lot with over 150 new stalls.

Replacement of the bridge crossing just south of Riverdance Way, designed to safely carry drivers and pedestrians into the area.

“The Elm Street project will be a catalyst for a more vibrant, pedestrian-friendly Old Town Keller, reinforcing our vision for a welcoming, family-friendly community,” Keller Mayor Armin Mizani said. “These improvements build on our ongoing commitment to the area and, together with the recent completion of Bates Festival Street and Park, will further enhance the strong business growth we’ve already seen in Old Town.”

The most recent work in Old Town was the Bates Festival Street reconstruction and U.S. 377 pedestrian crossing (ribbon cutting October 2023) and the development of Bates Street Park (ribbon cutting October 2024).

Public Works Director Alonzo Linan said the conceptual designs for the project began in 2021 in advance of the Tarrant County bond election, but the first public meeting for this project dates to March 2016.

“We started discussions about ideas for Phase II of the Old Town project east of Highway 377 before completing Phase I of the project on the west side (several years ago), so this is a long time coming for those residents and business owners in the area,” he said.

City officials said the construction project and engineering services are being awarded at $31.7 million, with $7.55 million coming from Tarrant Couny.

The Elm Street project will have a significant and long-lasting impact on Old Town Keller, Economic Development Director Mary Culver said.

“In fact, we’re already seeing that impact take shape, as property owners are investing in the area because of the public improvements we have planned,” she said.

Groundbreaking is expected soon and the project is expected to be completed in 2027.

“It might be easy to categorize this as a beautification effort, but as can be seen in the extensive scope of work, there are significant needs here to rehab the street, improve the drainage, add parking, replace the utilities, and address the creek overtopping the current bridge during significant rain events,” Linan said.

“These could have been addressed separately over the next few years, but city council’s vision in tackling these projects in one effort is what’s helping us create a true destination for residents and visitors alike.”

This story was originally published February 5, 2025 at 1:42 PM.