BEAVERS HOUSE TAKING SHAPE  - The new Buc-ee’s, located at IH 35 and FM 306, is quickly taking shape and is scheduled to open in spring of 2012.  This new store is the largest Buc-ee’s retail center sporting more than 30,000 sq. ft. of shopping space and 64 pumps and a 64-pump fueling island. This new shopping opportunity is a destination spot for travelers and is expected to welcome more than 5,500 vehicles daily. Buc-ee’s is not a truck stop and prides itself with the cleanest restrooms anywhere. This new retail outlet will employ more than 300 people and be open 24 hours. The ownership of Buc-ee’s believes in using local vendors to provide as much merchandise and product as possible so everyone benefits through good jobs and product value. 

FOUNDATION IN PLACE; STICKS GOING UP  - The new Villas at Sundance have begun putting lumber in place as this new 200 unit, Class A apartment complex begins to go vertical. Koontz McCombs, owner and developer, has been working tirelessly during the past 3 months to get dirt work completed, infrastructure in place, and foundations poured to meet a mid 2012 opening date. Plans are to have a temporary leasing office in place by spring 2012 to begin preleasing of the one, two, and three bedroom apartments. Multi-family housing has been difficult to find in the New Braunfels area for about a year, and this new Class A facility will be an answer to those needs. Villas at Sundance setting is in Sundance Park, a professional office and service development, located on the old Sundance Golf Course property on Common Street extension. The Villas are proud to call two full service nursing facilities, the New Braunfels Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, and an oncology center neighbors. 

SYSCO CENTER SET TO SHIP  - The new Sysco Central Texas food distribution facility at IH 35 and Schwab Rd. will open its doors in February 2012. Housing more than 600 employees, the 650,000 sq. ft. facility will ship all types of food products out of this new state-of-the-art center 24 hours per day.  It is the expectation by company officials to have more than 175 trucks each day moving product both north and south on IH 35. With more than 300,000 sq. ft. dedicated to freezer/cooler space, a food service business can be served locally with dry and cold storage items.  

CATERPILLAR OPENS NEWEST FACILITY IN COMAL COUNTY - Texas Manufacturing Technologies opened its doors for production of caterpillar engine parts in late summer 2011.  The new facility sports more than 250,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies for the production of diesel engine blocks and heads.  More than 150 people will be employed at this location when operations are at maximum production.  The parts manufactured at this new site will be shipped to the plant in Seguin for assembly and shipping to customers.  You can see this site at the Tri-County Industrial Park off FM 3009 just before getting to Garden Ridge.

NEW BRAUNFELS REGIONAL AIRPORT MAKING CHANGES  - The New Braunfels Regional Airport is proceeding with infrastructure improvement projects and facility development. These were important items designated by the consultant in the Airport Business Plan presented early 2011.  Currently the FAA has awarded $8 million in improvement grants and the New Braunfels Industrial Development Corporation (4B) has invested $800,000 to assist the City with the 10% matching funds requirements. Those projects that are complete or in process include new lighting, new striping, new taxiways and aprons for planes and hangar space, new runway surfaces and entire runway areas where the base has deteriorated, and the extension of runway 1331. Discussions are also ongoing to recruit a developer into the team that would be interested in building a spec hangar or two. Build NB officials work closely with airport and city staff to market the airport and recruit business and industry to the newly upgraded facilities.
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HWY 46 WEST ROADWAY NEARING COMPLETION - When TXDOT and Comal County began talking about pass through funding to improve the roads and move traffic more efficiently around New Braunfels, they decided on an area that was snarled daily and caused much consternation among those trying to navigate from west to east.  The Hwy 46 West project from Loop 337 to Range Rd. continues toward an early completion.  Hunter Industries has been diligent in completing the job to perfection and sooner than expected.  If you travel from the new HEB at Westpointe Center toward US 281, your travels are smoother, less congested, not nearly as stressful.  The new roadway is complete to FM 1863 and the new bridge over the FM 2722 intersection is set to be complete by late January 2012.  The forward thinking of the Comal County Judge and Commissioners to present the pass through funding idea to David Casteel, then TXDOT District Engineer, has proven to be a wise and prudent thing for the citizens of our community.  The entire project is set to be complete by late 2012.
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WALNUT AVENUE SPORTING NEW ASPHALT - The Walnut Avenue street project from IH 35 to Landa Street is progressing well.  NBU continues to make efficient work of moving utilities so the project can continue on time.  If you have traveled down Walnut from Business 35 to San Antonio you can see the new roadway in place with curbs and gutters.  Work continues on the Dry Comal Creek bridges, with those being completed by mid February.  This $26 million project will create a handsome, efficient passage way across New Braunfels from east to west.  This project requires the work of City, NBU, and contractors managing a project timeline and seeing it to completion.  It is hopeful that New Braunfelsers will be traveling on the new roadway by early summer!
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