By Ben Antonius | Daily Republic | November 06, 2009
Construction crews work part of the North Texas Street-Interstate 80 interchange project. The city is hoping to develop this area of the project with commercial properties. Photo by Chris Jordan
FAIRFIELD - The former Howard Johnson restaurant has long been emblematic of the issues facing the whole end of North Texas Street.
Great spot, a pain to drive to, something of a commercial disappointment.
Now, the shuttered restaurant is at the heart of a major project aiming to change that second descriptor, and, city officials hope, maybe the third one as well.
That would be the $20 million North Texas Street-Interstate 80 interchange project, scheduled for completion by summer. Several aspects of the project are intended to improve the area's commercial viability, and city officials are already in negotiations to bring new activity in.
'(The project) has been a vision for many years,' said Curt Johnston, economic development division manager for the city. 'I think it's going to be a vast improvement.'
The city has been in talks with the owners of the Chevron gas station, Johnston said. That station closed when work started on the interchange.
The owners have held closed-door meetings with city officials about possibly purchasing several city-owned parcels in the vicinity of the closed station.
'The owners will have an option of redeveloping the existing station or placing it potentially on another location and then we would like to see some restaurants on that property as well,' Johnston said.
Elsewhere, Manuel Campos Parkway is being brought through the hills, connecting between Dover Avenue and the interchange. Nelson Road has been wholly moved to the east, hopefully to produce a more natural route to access the Howard Johnson site and another one farther north.
See the complete story at the Daily Republic online.
