New Restaurant and Entertainment Venue Coming to Saginaw

October 18, 2022 was a historic night for the great and vibrant community of Saginaw TX.  The Economic Development Staff has been diligently for the past 18 months trying to provide our amazing citizens what they wanted and so desperately needed…”destination restaurants”, “sit-down restaurants”, and entertainment options.  Staff has been working with a restaurant development group “Local Favorite” who submitted a proposal for the redevelopment of the soon to be abandoned fire station property (approx. 2.5 acres) that includes three-branded restaurants, outdoor seating and a venue for live entertainment, along with saving as much of the existing structures as possible. They want to brand the location as “The Station at Saginaw”. Initially, the City of Saginaw was hoping for one (1) destination/sit-down restaurant for the Fire Station site when this process began. This project is EXACTLY what our residents have been asking for…and then some. While this type of thing happens every day in most communities, this is a FIRST for Saginaw Texas. This is a big deal for us.

Below you will see a very brief history of how working together with our residents and doing one of the most important things a leader can do which is to “listen” produces a win for your community and its future.

LFR Deck_The Station at Saginaw_10.18_Page_09
LFR Deck_The Station at Saginaw_10.18_Page_10

At the March 15, 2022 Saginaw City Council meeting, the Mayor and City Council approved Resolution No. 2022-07 that adopts the Work Plan for FY 2022. This Work Plan sets priorities and gives direction for the City Manager to lead staff toward progress on identified projects. “REDEVELOPMENT PLANNING FOR THE CURRENT CENTRAL FIRE STATION SITE – RESTAURANT OR ENTERTAINMENT” is one of those identified projects and was assigned to the Economic Development staff.

Below are some facts:

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  • In 2018, the City of Saginaw hosted a “Citizen’s Summit” Our residents spoke that they wanted more sit-down restaurants, fast-casual restaurants, retail and entertainment options.
  • In 2019, the City of Saginaw Economic Development Department conducted a citizen survey asking specifically what they wanted. The results of this survey was crucial for staff with their recruitment of businesses to Saginaw because it was a direct result from residents of exactly what they wanted. 
  • On March 3, 2020, the City of Saginaw contracted for the services of The Retail Coach for Retail Retention, Recruitment and Development Services and renewed this contract at the April 5, 2022 City Council Meeting.
  • January 2021 to present, the Economic Development staff has worked closely with The Retail Coach to compile a strong list of destination restaurant and entertainment developers for the existing Fire Station/Senior Center site.
  • In late-June 2022, the City of Saginaw accepted bids for the possible sale of real property located at 400 S. Saginaw Blvd. and 405 S. Belmont Street, Saginaw, Texas 76179; being all of Block 4 of the Town of Saginaw Addition, an addition to the City of Saginaw, Tarrant County, Texas. 
  • Daily, our Economic Development staff receive phone calls, emails and have personal face-to-face conversations with our residents who ask and provide us with a “wish list” of restaurants, retail and entertainment options that they would like to see in our community.
  • On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, the Saginaw TX Mayor and City Council unanimously approved the Local Favorite restaurant development project that will now be known as “The Station at Saginaw”. “The Station” will three-branded restaurants (Twisted Root Burger Company, La Ventana Taqueria, and Del Toro BBQ & Brews), outdoor seating and a venue for live entertainment. After almost two years of hard work, “The Station at Saginaw” will forever change the vibe, atmosphere and landscape of Saginaw TX.

A sincere congratulations to the citizens of Saginaw Texas. You deserve this.