RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

area to its original glory.” Together, City leaders worked to adopt Celina’s first Comprehensive Land Use Plan in 2001, which allocated the focus and funding needed to revitalize Downtown. Mayor Howard leaned into Carolyn Harvey, the Downtown Director at the time, and Greg Allen and Van Nichols who would be instrumental in the process.

Their efforts panned out, and while some doubted if the plan could work, the transformation began. By the Square’s centennial celebration in 2011, then-Councilwoman Carmen Roberts made sure much of the Downtown area that people enjoy today was complete. The permanent gazebo-pavilion structure was in place. Lights and music were attracting businesses and families. Residents, once again, renewed their commitment to the Square as the place to enjoy gathering and supporting local entrepreneurs. New businesses began coming back, and restaurants joined them. City leaders continued their relentless commitment to the success of the Square and enthusiastically planned festivals and events to showcase it to the region.

Celina Mayor Sean Terry served on the City Council during those beginning transformative years of Downtown and still finds himself having a double-take when he sees the area full of people. “I can remember coming to the Square when I was in high school and seeing a hundred people mingling around,” Terry recalled. “Then one day we looked up, and you wouldn’t see 10 people on the Square. So now when I’m there and see thousands of people at Cajun Fest or the Cinco de Mayo celebration or Oktoberfest, it fills my heart with joy and pride to know that the sacrifice and hard work of so many of our committed residents and staff really paid off.”

Not only has that paid off, but recent efforts of current City leaders are expanding and beautifying the historic Downtown area even more. By 2019, Mayor Terry and Celina City Council adopted the Celina Downtown Master Plan. This extensive plan assessed the vision, form and function, and community impact that the area could experience as the City grows at an unprecedented pace. While some of the plan would be evolving, residents saw their first glimpse at artist renderings of an area that would transition the Square from a City centerpiece to a North Texas masterpiece.

The 2019 plan, still available on the City’s website, reimagined the Downtown core of Celina with an improved and even more expanded Downtown Square, new development, preserved historic structures, an improved Founder’s Park, shared patio spaces, and use of rooftops for dining or passive recreation. It included a reimagined Pecan Street with new vitality and activity spilling onto the street and shared spaces reflecting new development, interesting and walkable designs, and multi-story structures blending in with the small-town fabric of Celina’s special charm. It expanded residential and retail spaces and had placeholders for civic offices and a library. At the north end of the plan was a spot reserved for a beautiful municipal building to replace the current City Hall.

Today, residents and visitors to Downtown Celina notice that this exciting plan is coming to life. What will become the Downtown Inner Loop is being constructed. Infrastructure additions and updates, the first of their kind since the City was plotted, cause gridlock around

Downtown today, but they will soon give way for necessary drainage and newer streets in the area. As quickly as the visible changes are taking place, plans behind the scenes continue to carefully evolve as design and engineering planning begins. The City recently updated the Downtown Master Plan and carefully laid out six identifiable districts of Downtown Celina, strong codes to maintain the history and charm of the area, and conceptual designs to highlight the amenities and enhancements to come.

“To comply with the need for beautiful, open spaces in our ever-growing community, our finest space—our historic Downtown area—will also evolve,” said Celina City Manager Jason Laumer. “The expansion of our Square must be done with great precision and care. Architecture is important, and our high standards must be preserved. Our residents need and deserve a lively, walkable, dynamic entertainment district. All of this is going to take the same commitment and sacrifice that generations before us have given to make this square what it can ultimately become.”

The 2023-2025 Celina Strategic Plan contains eight critical components for measuring success in the City during this period of growth and expansion. Notably in the efforts to enhance the Downtown area are the City’s commitment to be the “City of the Future, Connected to its Past” and to be the “City of Small Business.” Every project designed, built, or restored in this exciting enhancement to Downtown will strictly adhere to these values of the plan.

“We want people to visit Downtown Celina and have them experience the unique beauty and history of our hometown,” said Celina Mayor Pro Tem Jay Pierce. “The updated Downtown plans will enlarge and enhance our civic space and our community gathering space which will allow people of all ages to enjoy the location where Celina residents and friends have connected for over a century.”

Transforming components of the strong core of Downtown Celina will include strategically placed public parking. Several surface lots have recently been completed, and City officials say that more parking options, including parking garages, could be coming in the future. A complete network of shaded walkways will also make the Downtown area more accessible and enjoyable to those working, living, or visiting Downtown.

A large stage and a smaller stage area, connected by an esplanade, will allow for a variety of entertainment options. Market-driven buildings will offer more housing, restaurant, and retail space. And the plan’s commitment to every update is the continuation of the historic Texas charm that the parcel has always offered. “Having grown up in Celina, and now raising my own family here, I am thrilled that the Downtown area I loved as a child will be an even better place for my kids to enjoy and remember,” said Celina City Councilwoman Mindy Koehne. “I have carefully reviewed the plans and am certain that future generations of my family, and every Celina family, will have an incredibly beautiful place to gather that will honor and keep its historical integrity and charm.”

Several new businesses are already changing the landscape of Downtown Celina. Two bakeries, an Italian market and deli, and a food and beverage place at the silos are all currently under construction. Those, along with a large number of other announced residential, dining, and retail projects, will encourage and allow Celina residents to support local businesses. As more projects are announced under the new Downtown plan, more local businesses will be able to call this landmark city center their home.

“I talk to people every day who want to bring their businesses to our City,” said Celina EDC Executive Director Alexis Jackson. “Our team works with people who love Celina and who want to come here and be a part of the great culture that we share. We incentivize and work to attract as many small businesses as we can, knowing that will help us maintain our uniqueness for years to come.”

Other exciting additions found in the updated plan include several new green spaces and gathering spaces for residents of all stages of life. The alley patio park in Downtown will assist with much-needed seating places near the historic Downtown Square. Also, underway is the construction of the Ralph O’Dell Senior Center, named for the longtime Celina resident and World War II veteran.

In the location of the former fieldhouse at the old Bobcat Stadium, this center will provide a new home for so many from the generation who helped build Celina and communities just like it. The Senior Center will be a part of a large linear park named for the pioneering Ousley family. This creekside park along Doe Branch will offer park and trails space that will be crowned by the old Bobcat Stadium which will be used as an outdoor entertainment venue.

Such projects have recently gained the attention of neighbors in North Texas. As civic leaders in this era face challenges gathering residents and creating a culture of community, Celina’s Downtown development is already serving as a model for others, even as the transformation progresses.

“I have watched Celina’s leaders over the past several years remain unwavering on their commitment to the Downtown area and have been highly impressed and encouraged as their persistence and vision has been a huge success,” said Prosper Mayor David Bristol. “Celina’s Master Plan and the overwhelming impact of their Downtown development has challenged the Town of Prosper and our council to strategically focus on our own central district and has really been a catalyst for the projects we now have underway.”

Texas State Representative Matt Shaheen agrees that the vision and execution of Celina’s Downtown Master Plan is a model for Texas cities, “When a city is fortunate enough to have a historic gathering place and the City’s leadership is committed to valuing that space, the residents and businesses have much for which to be grateful. I believe Celina’s Downtown area can be a model example for cities across Texas that want to grow and develop while still guarding the heart and soul of their hometown.”

Over the coming months and years, the Downtown restoration, renovation, and expansion will continue. Residents will likely grow accustomed to more construction machinery and the dust that accompanies those necessary evils. Traffic around the Square might ebb and flow more annoyingly than normal. At the same time, the city remains more committed than ever to perfecting Mr. Smith’s 1910 vision, Mayor Howard’s 2001 Land Use Plan, and the most recent 2019 Downtown Master Plan and the most recent updates approved by the council.

The City staff team members continue to diligently study and work to find every way that Downtown Celina will forever be the treasured heart of the City. Residents and many small businesses, in due time, will be the beneficiaries of the vision and work that will yield this masterpiece. In the meantime, the late spring and summer months will soon offer a host of activities for people to gather Downtown, celebrate one another and their beloved Celina, and see why this city truly lives Life Connected.