\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAllen officials highlighted planned development projects and ongoing investments in aging infrastructure at the annual State of the City event.<\/p>\n
The Allen Chamber of Commerce<\/a> hosted the event May 21, where a panel of city leaders discussed upcoming mixed-use projects, economic growth opportunities and reinvestments planned for aging neighborhoods.<\/p>\n The big picture<\/p>\n City officials discussed maintaining community standards and amenities as a priority as Allen continues to age.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are becoming a city that is beginning to age and age well, and so we want to keep that up,\u201d Allen Economic Development Corp. President Dan Bowman said. “Maintaining, reinvesting\u2014that’s a big piece for us.”<\/p>\n Over the past several Allen City Council meetings, council members have approved more than $10 million in infrastructure improvements to Allen\u2019s aging neighborhoods, City Manager Eric Ellwanger said, such as the Oak Hill<\/a> neighborhood, Greengate<\/a> neighborhood and two lift stations.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt’s going to be hard to see, because a lot of that is water and sewer lines that are underground, things of that nature, but [it\u2019s] vitally important to the vibrancy of a community to reinvest in communities and make sure that we stay a community of choice for everybody,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In addition to neighborhood improvements, Mayor Baine Brooks said city leaders are planning to discuss aging shopping centers in east Allen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had that conversation years ago, but it halted, but that conversation is coming back so we can reinvest once again in our city, in our aging community,\u201d Brooks said.<\/p>\n The Allen Public Library, which reopened in December after undergoing a $19.9 million renovation<\/a> and expansion project, is another example of the city\u2019s reinvestment in aging infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201c[The library] is a typical example of quality-of-life amenities here in Allen, and again, reinvestment in our community,\u201d Ellwanger said. \u201cThe Allen Public Library is an incredibly special place. … It is really, in some ways, the living room of our community.\u201d<\/p>\n Diving deeper<\/p>\n Allen is experiencing significant economic growth, especially along the SH 121 corridor, which supports the city’s commercial tax base and helps ease the tax burden on residents, Bowman said.<\/p>\n City officials highlighted several projects coming soon to Allen, including High Five entertainment, the Katy Trail Ice House, the next phases of Sloan Corners <\/a>and Downtown Allen.<\/p>\n \u201cAllen is the city of the future,\u201d Brooks said.<\/p>\n