At a Glance

“Legacy East” is a mixed-use redevelopment of a vacant 5-acre site in East Waco. It represents a natural evolution for our firm, and we are grateful to serve as long-term stewards of this underutilized site adjacent to the City’s “Elm Avenue Redevelopment Corridor.” Our master plan features over 150 residential units, ranging from affordable garden apartments to urban single-family homes. Our proposal also integrates retail/dining spaces, a small-business incubator, a community plaza, and a pedestrianized design. Stay tuned for updates and upcoming community town halls.

A Public-Private Partnership

Following our smaller-scale infill work in Waco, Placemaker Pro responded to the City’s RFP 2025-077 in December 2025 to serve as the master developer this 5-acre East Waco property. In February 2026, our team was selected as the winner of this RFP process, pending the approval of a final “Development Agreement” with the City of Waco (expected in April 2026).

A Cohesive Community "Campus"

Legacy East will transform nearly 5 acres of long-vacant land into a thriving, mixed-use community hub. Collectively designed as a walkable campus, the master plan balances residential density with neighborhood-scale commercial spaces and activated public areas. Our objective is to support long-term livability, local entrepreneurship, and social connection within the heart of East Waco.

The 5-Parcel Master Plan

We have thoughtfully divided the site into 5 distinct parcels, each serving a specific neighborhood need and supporting a "full lifecycle" of community living.

• Parcel A: The Entrepreneurial Heart. Designed as the project’s philosophical cornerstone, this parcel features 6 small-scale commercial incubator spaces (700+ sq. ft.). These units are intentionally compact and cost-conscious, with shared utilities to lower barriers to entry for local startups.

• Parcel B: The Mixed-Use Anchor. The largest component of Legacy East, we have proposed a 3-story building with nearly 100 residential units (studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom) above ground-floor neighborhood retail and resident amenities.

• Parcel C: Neighborhood-Scaled Apartments. This proposed 12-unit building acts as a transitional scale between the larger mixed-use structure and the surrounding homes, maintaining an intimate neighborhood character.

• Parcel D: Townhomes & Family Living. Recognizing that families deserve room to grow, this proposed parcel offers 30 residential units across 15 townhouse structures. These include ground-floor ADA-accessible "garden apartments" and larger multi-story duplexes designed for multi-generational living.

• Parcel E: Urban Single-Family Homes. Completing the residential spectrum, this proposed collection of 19 compact, 3-story single-family homes emphasizes efficient design and ownership opportunities.

Public Features & Community Activation

Legacy East is built for East Waco and not simply in it. Our proposal has prioritized features that all residents can access and enjoy at no cost:

• The 8,000 sq. ft. Community Plaza: A flexible outdoor platform for vendor markets, pop-up events, and daily social use.

• Outdoor Community Cinema: A repurposed shipping container serves as a project kiosk and transforms into a projection screen for community movie nights, all coordinated by Cultural Arts of Waco.

• The Taylor Street "Road Diet:" We are proposing rebalancing the streetscape to restore people to the foreground. Improvements include wider sidewalks, artistic paving, rain gardens, pedestrian-scale lighting, and shaded seating.

• Public Art & Programming: Through our partnership with Cultural Arts of Waco, the campus will host youth cultural events and place-based art that celebrates the neighborhood's identity.

A Plan for Infrastructure

To support this vision, we are working alongside the City of Waco to implement essential public infrastructure improvements. This includes comprehensive road resurfacing, utility upgrades, and a significant expansion of the local sidewalk network to enhance neighborhood connectivity. To ensure certainty of execution, we are applying for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to support select public-realm and infrastructure components of the project.

Indicative Timeline

On a preliminary basis, we have organized the Legacy East project into distinct phases to allow for responsible growth, thoughtful community engagement, and market absorption.

• Planning & Pre-Development: The initial year of the project is dedicated to finalizing the Development Agreement with the City and beginning intensive pre-development activities. Our public engagement campaign will launch early in this stage and remain active through the entire buildout to ensure continuous community dialogue.

• Phase 1 – Immediate Activation (Parcels A, C, & D): We intend to break ground first on the "Entrepreneurial Heart" (Parcel A). By building the business incubator, public plaza, and community cinema immediately, we aim to provide the neighborhood with actionable results and an active gathering space as early as possible. This phase also includes our first wave of residential units in the Parcel C and D complexes.

• Phase 2 – Expanding the Vision (Parcels B & E): As the site matures, we propose will begin the second phase of construction. This is proposed to include the development of the Parcel E urban single-family homes and the landmark Parcel B mixed-use anchor. Parcel B represents the most significant residential addition to the master plan, requiring the most extensive planning and design period to ensure it serves the future of East Waco for decades to come.
  
  ⓘ Note: All timelines and site elements are preliminary and subject to change based upon municipal negotiations and community feedback.

Community Outreach: Join the Conversation

For projects of this size and scope, real estate developers have a continuous responsibility to facilitate a comprehensive public engagement campaign. We are committed to a full-scale community feedback initiative to ensure Legacy East reflects the aspirations of the neighborhood.

Our step-by-step engagement plan includes:

• Listening Sessions & Town Halls: Periodic open-house meetings to understand concerns and document neighborhood priorities.

• Design Workshops: Opportunities for residents to provide direct feedback on building scale, park spaces, and architectural style.

• Transparency: We will maintain a project-specific record of public comments to show exactly how community feedback has shaped the final design.

After the finalization of all municipal negotiations, Placemaker Pro will begin reaching out to community members and local stakeholders to hold a series of town hall meetings.