Parking lot in Northgate District behind Dixie Chicken available for possible redevelopment

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – The City of College Station’s parking lot near the Dixie Chicken may soon be a thing of the past.

The 108 spots and the bathrooms on 301 Patricia St. are available for a developer to buy and redevelop through a sealed bid.

The City of College Station’s Chief Development Officer, Michael Ostrowski, told KBTX the goal behind selling this parking lot is to bring in more money to the Northgate District and the city, but they hope the developer who takes over this land will also help redefine Northgate as we know it.

“As the Northgate area continues to grow, the city wants to help further some of those efforts. One way of doing that is we own the municipal parking lot that we are looking to put out sealed bids,” said Ostrowski. “The development is overall a good thing for the city and it is not just the sale of the property but ultimately what the ultimate product is that ends up going on that property.”

The city hopes to make back the land’s $10 million valuation, but interested buyers are on the hook for more.

The city says developers would also need to give the city 100 parking spaces, a space for ride-share operators, public restrooms, and a sizable police substation.

College Station Mayor John Nichols says the land would also become taxable again.

“The property has always been an attractive property for a number of reasons. We’ve owned the property for many years. It’s been very useful to the community, and we look forward to seeing how the market might actually be interested in a different way of activating that area,” said Nichols.

However, redevelopment in the Northgate District affects other property owners.

Justin Manning co-owns Rough Draught near the parking lot. He says he’s concerned new development will take away from the area.

“I understand progress and I understand things like this may happen. The little bit of charm that we have, our hometown, a large draw to Texas A&M and College Station is Northgate. We are going to be developed out of our cute little town into high rises and no character,” said Manning.

With new development comes rising property values, a cost Manning says businesses like his will have to shoulder.

“Property taxes go one direction and when you put in more expensive buildings, everything around it becomes more valuable,” said Manning. “This real estate is incredibly valuable which means all the real estate developers want it.”

The City of College Station said sealed bids are a long process and developers submitting proposals is just the first step. Bids are due August 22.

College Station says they aren’t obligated to choose a bid, but if they do it’ll be in the best interest of the city and the Northgate District.

Below is the city’s documentation regarding the details of the purchase and redevelopment of the parking lot: