Brownwood’s newest shopping center is bringing five national retailers, as many as 150 jobs and an estimated $10.2 million development to the city’s Commerce Street corridor.
The City of Brownwood and Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting Tuesday morning at Shops on Commerce, a five-store retail center at 537 W. Commerce. Developer Ted Hutto joined city officials and community guests for the ceremony.
The development has added 41,000 square feet of retail space next to Commerce Square. The center includes Five Below, Bath & Body Works, Ulta Beauty, James Avery Jewelry and Ross.
When the five stores will be open
Three of the retailers are already open: Five Below, Bath & Body Works and James Avery Jewelry. Ross and Ulta Beauty are scheduled to open Oct. 9, according to information shared at the ribbon cutting.
The openings expand Brownwood’s national retail options while adding a new shopping destination on West Commerce. The ceremony included remarks from City Manager Marshal McIntosh, Mayor Stephen Hayne and Hutto, the Pampa-based developer behind the project.
McIntosh said the project had been several years in development and credited Brownwood’s elected officials and economic development staff for pursuing additional retail.
“This has been multiple years in the making,” McIntosh said.
McIntosh also pointed to the role of Economic Development Director and Deputy City Manager Ray Tipton, whom he described as persistent in efforts to attract retailers.
“with their vision, we have expanded the retail and national retail footprint for Brownwood, Texas. I think this is an impressive project for a community our size,” McIntosh said.
City expects sales-tax and employment impact
Hayne said his support for retail development goes back to his decision 16 years ago to run for mayor. He said the goal was to help Brownwood offer some of the retail opportunities available in larger metropolitan areas.
“One of the things that I campaigned on way back 16 years ago was a concentrated effort on retail development,” Hayne said.
He also connected retail construction with the city’s broader financial picture. According to Hayne, new infrastructure can create additional sales-tax revenue, which can help offset inflation and reduce pressure to raise property taxes.
“Another one is simply that as we build new infrastructure, it creates new sales tax. Sales tax helps offset inflation. And that prevents us from having to raise ad valorem taxes, which obviously is a great thing,” Hayne said.
Hayne said the Shops on Commerce development exceeds $10.2 million. Including inventory, he said tens of millions of dollars are being invested in the community. The five stores are expected to produce estimated annual sales of $12 million to $15 million and about $300,000 in sales-tax revenue.
The center is also expected to create between 100 and 150 jobs.
Hayne described the project as a major change for Brownwood’s retail landscape, noting that Commerce Square was built before he was born. He said roughly half a century had passed since a developer built a new shopping center in the city.
“So it has been approximately a half a century since any developer has come to town and built a new shopping center in the city of Brownwood,” Hayne said.
Developer credits local support
Hutto said the project grew out of the earlier Shoe Dept. Encore development in the former Kroger building. He said the response to that store’s performance helped lead to conversations with Ross and eventually to the larger Shops on Commerce project.
“We were blessed to put the Shoe Department Encore in there, and it just turned out phenomenal. We just kept getting a lot of response with the numbers they were doing,” Hutto said.
Hutto credited his wife, Becky, city leaders, Tipton, former Planning and Development Director Tim Murray and TexasBank for helping move the project forward. He said the development required navigating a short deadline and a lengthy process, while city staff helped advance the deal.
“This would not have been done without Tim Murray driving so hard on this deal,” Hutto said.
He also thanked Brownwood residents and local officials for their support during the project’s development. The ribbon cutting marked the public celebration of a retail center that city leaders say will add shopping choices, employment and sales-tax activity to Brownwood.