Bryan Construction
It’s no secret that residential and commercial development in Bryan is booming. Over the past decade, Bryan has seen a gradual uptick in the number of building permits issued and new homes and businesses constructed.
It’s also no secret as to why Bryan has been experiencing this steady growth. The city has all of the characteristics that make development attractive, especially the availability of land. And members of Bryan’s leadership have made a concerted push to proclaim that “Bryan is open for business.”
But perhaps something that hasn’t been noticed as much about this longer-term development uptick is the record-setting numbers that the city has posted just in the past two years – in the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, no less.
“As far as growth is concerned, it’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen before,” says Lauren Hovde, the city’s development administrator, about 2021’s record-setting year. “And we’re not expecting it to slow down either. We’re continuing to plat property continuously.”
In 2020, Bryan issued a record number of building permits for Residential Single-Family Detached homes – 720 of them. And then the city smashed that record in 2021 issuing 955 of these types of permits.
Bryan single family graph
Among all permit types, including new residential and construction, remodeling, manufactured homes and more, Bryan issued a record 2,597 permits in 2020, and then again completely demolished that record in 2021 with 3,527 issued. That’s nearly 1,000 more than the previous record-setting year.
So, why is Bryan seeing this unprecedented explosion of growth and development?
We asked Martin Zimmermann, the city’s assistant director of Planning and Development Services, about why this specific point in time is proving to be such an expansive moment for Bryan.
“I would say that 10 to 15 years ago there was a lot more land to the south of here, and as that has developed and filled up, the development community is looking for new opportunities, and Bryan is still providing those opportunities,” Zimmermann says. “Bryan, and the land just outside our borders, is still available and still can be developed. I think that’s the main driver. The cost of land is perhaps more affordable than south of here, so I certainly think that has a lot to do with it.”
Bryan permits
Hovde and Zimmermann both discussed several areas of Bryan that are seeing growth, both residential and commercial. New subdivisions are being built to the east and west of Bryan, and just as important is the commercial growth and new businesses that create jobs and help keep the local economy churning.
Hovde specifically highlighted Midtown as an area that is really riding the growth train, due in part to the development of Travis Bryan Midtown Park.
“If I had to really put my finger on where I see the most money being invested in the city, I would say it’s in Midtown,” Hovde says. “Travis Bryan Midtown Park is really redefining how we see recreation as a community. We’re taking an asset that we already had and valued, and expanding it to a broader audience.”
Bryan big shots
This growth is also becoming a self-perpetuating cycle. More residential growth creates the need for more commercial services and amenities, which in turn makes the city more attractive to people wanting to move here and buy houses, creating a need for more residential structures. And then the cycle repeats.
“A definite positive attribute that comes along with new rooftop (residential) development is that fact that a greater population brings more recreational opportunity and more retail, more restaurants,” Hovde says. “People from the outside are seeing our growth and want to be a part of it. And so, we are seeing interest from outside companies wanting to come in and join our community and be a part of ‘the good life.’”
Courtesy of the City of Bryan
