Aubrey has something old and at the same time new in Veterans Memorial Park.
As part of its park improvements, the city built a replica of the train depot that was part of Aubrey’s downtown landscape to serve a modern purpose.
“We wanted to improve the park,” Aubrey Mayor Chris Rich said. “… We always wanted to tie it back to old things Aubrey, like Fruit Jar Junction, or the railroad depot. I’ve been pushing that since we first started talking about restrooms at the park.”
He mentioned seeing the pictures in the Aubrey Area Museum and taking inspiration from them.
“I’ve done Ms. [Jackie] Fuller’s museum tour over there and as you’re looking at the old buildings that used to be downtown, that’s really the only one that [was] small enough.”
While the building might be relatively small, it provides several features for the city and its visitors.
“It serves multiple purposes,” Rich said. “It’s got the restrooms, it’s got the pavilion on the front. It has a storage room in the back so we can keep the Christmas tree in a climate-controlled space without having to pay someone else to do it.”
That is also part of an overarching overhaul of the park, with additional thought going to the Christmas tree in the form of a permanent base where it can sit, year after year.
The changes were kickstarted by a Texas Department of Transportation grant awarded to Keep Aubrey Beautiful in 2019, with the city funding the internal phases of the project.
“They got a grant from TxDOT for improvements on the right of way, and that project kind of kicked off a revamp of Veterans Memorial Park,” Rich said. “… The approval process through TxDOT was not a fast one.”
That grant helped fund the sidewalk and landscaping portions of the project.
The internal components have been funded by the city, including paved walkways that stretch from the stage, past the depot and to Plum Street.
Although the design process began along with the first phase, the construction didn’t begin until about five weeks before Peanut Festival, with the contractors working through the night Oct. 2 to have the facility ready for Saturday.
“They were here at 5:30 when I got in, still painting,” Parks Superintendent Kurt Karnowski said.
Phase 2 should in around $1.3 million, which was the contractual amount.
One major component, the sunshades that will shield the performers on stage from staring into the sun and provide some relief from the heat for concertand festivalgoers, has not yet been installed.
“There’s a few, just small ins and outs [remaining] at this point,” Karnowski said. “… It’s 90% at this point.”
The other, an electronic marquee, will sit at the corner of Main and Plum streets.
“The mayor and the council have determined that they want to make a significant investment in the future of downtown,” City Administrator Charles Kreidler said. “As part of our downtown plan, we’ve obtained property over the last six months that will be used for future economic development. The MDD has done the same. They have purchased property downtown in order to have a more historic feel, to maintain our heritage and to drive economic growth.”
For Rich, the project has provided the city a chance to move forward to embrace the growth of the area while continuing to honor the city’s history.
“We’ve got to hold onto what Aubrey was,” Rich said. “… I think it’s important that we hold onto that, especially for those of us who have lived here our entire lives.”
