Project overview
Construction has started on Waco’s Barron’s Branch District, a roughly 30-acre downtown redevelopment supported by an approximately $184 million Master Development Agreement with Hunt Real Estate & Infrastructure. The city formally announced the start on September 29, following a September 24 groundbreaking.
Rogers-O’Brien Construction is the general contractor. The public-improvement program is expected to be completed in April 2029 and is intended to lay the groundwork for more than $800 million in subsequent private investment. That future investment is a development opportunity enabled by the public work, rather than construction already awarded under the agreement.
Latest updates
Construction timeline, from announcement through delivery. Filed dates and future targets are labeled separately from confirmed events. Reviewed September 30, 2026.
September 24, 2026
Confirmed milestoneDistrict groundbreaking
The City of Waco, Hunt and Rogers-O’Brien mark the groundbreaking for the downtown district.
September 29, 2026
Construction updateConstruction start formally announced
The city announces the approximately $184M public-improvement program, beginning with streets and underground utilities ahead of park construction.
April 2029 target
TargetPublic improvements completion
Current anticipated completion of the district’s public works; subsequent private development has separate schedules.
Rebuilding the district from below ground
The first work concentrates on the infrastructure needed to support the district: roads, replacement underground services, drainage and reconstruction of Barron’s Branch Creek. Some of the infrastructure being replaced is around 80 years old, making renewal of existing systems a central part of the undertaking.
Parks and plazas are also included. The project combines the practical work of servicing future development sites with the creation of public spaces that will shape how the district is used. It is a district-scale civil and public-realm program rather than a single vertical building project.
A multidisciplinary delivery team
Hunt Real Estate & Infrastructure is the master developer, with Rogers-O’Brien leading construction. Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates is responsible for landscape and master-planning leadership, Walker Partners for civil engineering and Overland Partners for architecture.
TYLin is identified for structural engineering and Schlaich Bergermann Partner for bridge engineering. Domingo Gonzalez Associates is the lighting consultant, while EEA Consulting Engineers provides mechanical, electrical and plumbing expertise.
The specialist team also includes Terracon for geostructures, GPSI for water features and WC3 Design for irrigation. The range of appointments reflects a scope that joins underground infrastructure, creek works, structures, landscape and public-space systems.
Public works intended to unlock private development
The approximately $184 million agreement covers the public development program. The separate estimate of more than $800 million in potential private investment describes what those improvements could help unlock over time; it should not be combined with the agreement as a single awarded construction contract.
Road access, drainage and utilities are enabling works for later development. Completing them establishes the physical foundation for subsequent investment, while the timing and form of individual private projects will depend on their own development decisions.
Construction through April 2029
The September groundbreaking and formal construction-start announcement move Barron’s Branch beyond planning into delivery. The current April 2029 target sets a multiyear horizon for the public improvements.
For the construction market, the update also makes the team substantially clearer. Rogers-O’Brien’s GC role and the named engineering and design appointments provide a more complete account of who is delivering the district than earlier coverage focused mainly on the development agreement and procurement opportunities.
