Celina is committing $131 million to tear out every asphalt street in downtown and replace it with concrete over the next 10 to 12 years, a project city officials say will eliminate chronic flooding, add sidewalks, and position the historic core for long-term growth.
The downtown inner loop bounded by Beech Street, Walnut Street, Ohio Drive and Colorado Drive will get brick paving instead of standard concrete, according to Community Impact, which first reported the plan July 26.
"It will be the one thing that will hold the city together," Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Andy Hopkins said. "It's the jewel, the belt buckle."
What changes for drivers and businesses
As crews tear out asphalt block by block, they will also bury underground storm sewer pipes and pour new sidewalks, Assistant City Manager Kimberly Brawner said. The drainage upgrades matter immediately to downtown business owners like Katie Dunn, who owns Little Wooden Penguin and Nowhere Bar. Dunn told Community Impact that Little Wooden Penguin, located near Beech Street, floods every time it rains. Water comes right in the front door.
Brawner said concrete lasts 40 to 50 years before needing replacement, compared with eight to 10 years for asphalt. The longer lifespan is central to the city's cost argument: pay more upfront, maintain less over decades.
Who pays
City Manager Robert Ranc said the reconstruction can be funded within Celina's existing tax rate of $0.576401 per $100 valuation. No tax rate increase is required.
To free up dollars, council identified projects elsewhere in Celina that could be delayed, including Legacy Bridge, Smiley Road and portions of J. Fred Smith Parkway, according to a Feb. 4 work session. The first five years of the capital plan, including 2026 funding, were approved by council in March.
If officials choose to compress the timeline, the price tag could rise by up to 10%, Brawner said.
Design work already underway
Council approved a $1.7 million project management contract with McKinney-based engineering firm Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson at a May 12 meeting. JMT will oversee design for 70% of the roads slated for reconstruction over the next two years.
Separately, council approved $8.1 million for the city's 2026 annual street maintenance program on July 14. Public Works Director Andrew Figueroa noted that the downtown streets getting asphalt repairs this year are ones that will not be converted to concrete in the near future.
Construction fatigue and what's next
Brawner acknowledged that years of rolling construction will test residents' patience. She called construction fatigue her biggest uncontrollable variable. Staff will hold community meetings near future project sites, and plans could shift based on feedback.
The road overhaul is one piece of a broader downtown transformation. A section of southbound Ohio Drive between Pecan Street and Walnut Street will become a pedestrian-only walkway under the city's Downtown Master Plan, and the $59 million Downtown Center housing city offices and the public library is expected to open in February 2027.
Celina's next budget workshop is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 10, at 5:30 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 112 N. Colorado St., according to the city's social media.
