Planned development in Bryan announced Tuesday shocks neighbors

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Neighbors in Bryan are working to process new information that their neighborhood may soon be a mega-development for the City of Bryan.

Renderings released Tuesday night paint a colorful, vibrant city square with highrises and commercial opportunities. But, for residents living in the quiet Oak Terrace subdivision, the news wasn’t so welcomed.

“We were watching Channel 3 last night and they showed it, and it was quite a shock because we had no pre-information about this, we didn’t know it has been talked about or anything,” lifelong Bryan resident, Mark Spears said.

Spears has not only lived in Bryan his whole life, but he grew up in Oak Terrace and continues to call it home in retirement.

“This was where I grew up, in this house,” he said. Faced with the news, he’s worried about what is going to happen. “It’s a little bit frightening. The way things are money-wise, financially, and you’re a retired person, to know if you’re going to have enough to go somewhere without prices raising up, just, it’s hard to know and it’s kind of a scary thing to think about.”

Spears says he’s noticed neighbors selling but thought it was for AgShacks.

“We’ve had no letter, no information, no contact about anything. We knew somebody was getting the properties but didn’t know what for,” he said.

According to appraisal records, more than 30 homes in Spear’s neighborhood have quietly been purchased by the City of Bryan’s Commerce and Development board over the past few years.

That includes the former residence of Nicole Gallucci, who was forced to move about four years ago.

“Just out of the blue our landlord warned us that there were some negotiations going on and that in due time the City of Bryan was most likely going to purchase that land and that they were offering money [my landlord] wasn’t going to turn down,” Gallucci said.

While she didn’t know the reason for the purchase at the time, Gallucci says seeing the news Tuesday night put things together.

“Frustration and confusion together, that’s what’s going on here. So many people thought that I was out of my mind,” she said. “They’re like, there’s nothing going on. Well, yes there is.”

While residents continue processing this potential change, Spears says he hopes for more information.

“I think the largest complaint I have right now is that this is going on and we have no idea there was even a thought anywhere. I understand this is what they call progress, but hopefully, it’s a long way off,” he said.

Other homeowners in the area told KBTX they had received letters from the City of Bryan with interest in purchasing property but told us they have no interest in selling. Many of the homes include renters, who told us they didn’t know what was going on.