24,000+
4,000 v 5,400
30–40% more downtown foot traffic
Early 1900s
Downtown Groesbeck already has real character: quaint, walkable red-brick streets, a handful of boutiques, a homegrown restaurant that passers through enjoy, and a solid base of personal services. What it's short on is staying power - both in terms of things to do once the workday ends, and in the buildings themselves, many of which are original construction and in real need of reinvestment. This opportunity is about closing both gaps: bringing in third spaces and the personal services that aren't yet downtown, and putting money into buildings worth saving before they're not.
3,965 → 8,299
Vehicles a day on TX-164, from the west approach to downtown. Downtown draws from the whole street network, not one highway.
Source: TxDOT traffic counts, 2025 (published 2026).
Reinvestment and new offerings move together here, not one after the other. A building getting fixed up is also the building that ends up hosting the barber shop or the residential space that wasn't downtown before.
Places that give people a reason to stay downtown after five, like a coffee or dessert spot that stays open late, a tap or wine room, live music and community gathering spaces. Projects that fit include evening dining, entertainment and adaptive reuse of buildings currently in limited use.
Reinvesting in downtown's original-construction buildings - many with real roof and structural issues - and converting usable upper floors into housing, keeping these buildings standing and adding residents who are downtown day and night.
Rounding out what's already a solid personal-service base (hair, chiropractic, facials, massage, tanning, cleaners) with the close-to-home options still missing, like a dedicated nail salon, upscale barbershop, or both.
Extends the Day: New third spaces give downtown a reason to stay active well past typical business hours.
Protects Buildings Worth Saving: Many of downtown's original-construction buildings need real structural investment - reinvesting now keeps them standing and in character.
Rounds Out the Service Mix: Fills specific, known gaps in personal services rather than duplicating what's already working downtown.
Adds Built-In Foot Traffic: Upper-floor residential conversions put people living downtown, not just visiting it, supporting businesses on a daily rhythm.
Keeps Everyday Spending Local: Services residents currently drive out of town for become available a few blocks from home.
Groesbeck's downtown isn't short on character. What it needs now is reinvestment: filling the real gaps in that service mix, giving people a reason to stick around after five, and keeping these old buildings standing instead of losing them to time.
Where it could go
Buildings and sites GEDC is marketing now that suit this opportunity.
Founded as a stop on the Houston and Texas Central Railroad, Groesbeck is the seat of Limestone County, set where TX-14 and TX-164 cross in the heart of Central Texas. It’s a small town with a big reach: Waco in 40 minutes, Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston within an easy drive, and Lake Limestone just down the road. A walkable red-brick downtown and deep ranching roots give it room to grow, without losing what makes it home.
