TYLER, Texas — Tyler has seen rapid growth in almost every area within the city, from its economic development to improvements in infrastructure.
Those are just some of the accomplishments Tyler Mayor Don Warren addressed in the annual State of the City luncheon at the newly-opened W.T. Brookshire Conference Center.
"This year's motto is 'Tyler Transformed,'" Warren said. "We've had our new conference center open up, we've got a new medical school and courthouse being built and we have some plans for downtown -- so just a lot going on."
The city's growth has also led to new businesses and expansions throughout Tyler.
"We're seeing lots of new restaurants come into the marketplace and seeing new shopping centers being developed as well as new subdivisions," said Scott Martinez, president and CEO of Tyler Economic Development Council. "Over the last two and a half years, we've invested over $250 million by existing companies doing expansions."
Some of those expansions are also leading to changes in downtown Tyler. The mayor said the city has applied for a $25 million grant that will go toward downtown revitalization efforts.
"You can measure what's going on downtown by the occupancy of the office buildings," Warren said. "More people are officed downtown than in any other part of Tyler. Once we make the downtown investment, we hope the buildings that are vacant now will soon become filled in. We want anybody that lives here to make downtown Tyler a destination spot."
The money is also going towards revitalizing downtown Tyler's brick streets.
"In 2021, we'd spent $385,000 doing 17 brick street repairs. In 2022, we did 193," Warren said. "We're really making an effort to get the brick streets in order."
With more people moving to Tyler, that also means an increase in traffic flow. Warren said the city is working along with the Texas Department of Transportation to improve traffic and some of its outdated infrastructure.
"We are spending $760,000 a year on improving our water lines," Warren said. "We're redoing our infrastructure which we haven't done a very good job in the past but were catching up and it's going to be a continuing thing that we have to work on."
The city is also continuing to add traffic improvements to make driving for firefighters during emergency calls safer and more time efficient.
"When a fire truck approaches a light, it will automatically turn green," Warren said. "There will be a 14 to 23% reduction in response time."
All these changes lean toward making Tyler a safer and thriving community for everyone to enjoy.
"We all want to work together. That's what it's all about, healthy work-life balance, and that's what we're shooting for," said Angie Hines, economic development coordinator.