DISCOVERNEWDOWNTOWNENNIS

For years the hopes of a city whose downtown was seriously damaged and, faced with the likelihood of never coming back, had a fresh vision born in the hearts of people. Pacing back and forth like a new father, the revitalization of the Bluebonnet City came to blooming life. Nearly 20,000 residents have witnessed the growth of new housing sectors and incoming businesses. They have sprung up along the I-45 corridor and in downtown, a mile west of the interstate.

May 13, 2013 was the date when 13 local twisters ravaged the area, including one that strolled down midtown toward the east on Ennis Avenue. Once the effects, which included the loss of vitality between McKinney and Main, had taken their toll, what rose from the collapsed heap of bricks was a new-found purpose. Ideas of rebuilding and restoring began to outnumber thoughts of vacating and starting over elsewhere.

Right in the middle of it all the Historical Society helped foster a desire to parlay seeming defeat into a spirit of revival.

Even old buildings that had perhaps outlived their usefulness have seen investors step in to do much more than a face-lift. Work has been completed on Dallas Street, including a huge undertaking beneath the five blocks of North and South Dallas.

Minnie McDowal Park, formerly a theatre downtown, has been a huge benefactor. So have plans for new restaurants and night life, retail, offices, apartments and lofts, banking and a fenced in dog park at North Plaza. The city’s heartbeat is alive and well.

Festivals and wholesome events that fill the calendar make Ennis a growing destination for families. A multi-cultural mesh give credence to sustaining that life for years to come. Most of the venues bring thousands of people, and then there are the 40,000 that flock to Memorial Weekend’s National Polka Festival.

The magnetic appeal of Ennis is related directly to the vibrant life of this community. It’s alive, and contagious.