The now-thriving shops and eateries in downtown Waco already existed before 2013.
So did the twin silos, barn and storage building sitting on 2.6 acres in the heart of the district.
Then came the notoriety from the hit HGTV show, “Fixer Upper,” hosted by America’s most recognizable home renovating couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines. Their passion for their community, and tourism generated by the program’s 24 million viewers, brought newcomers to Waco, longing to visit the sights and landmarks seen week after week in the show, now in its third year. Those must-see places include the Gaineses’ Magnolia Market at the Silos, and Magnolia Flour bakery, all located in turn-of-the-20th-century cottonseed facilities.
Wearing a chipped white-paint exterior, the silos dominate the block, towering 120 feet in the hot central Texas air. For years, potential buyers of the lot wanted to demolish the relic seed storage bins.
“And Joanna said, ‘They’re beautiful,’ and people believed her,” said Susan Morton, Waco’s tourism manager. “It made everyone look at them differently.” The Gaines bought the site two years ago and performed their “Fixer Upper” magic upon it. This summer, more 35,000 people a week are visiting the place, buying vintage-style housewares and baked goodies, staying in local hotels and motels, and then wandering into long-time Waco attractions such as Baylor University, the Brazos Riverwalk and the 146-year-old Suspension Bridge.
The flow of tourists included me and two avid “Fixer Upper” fans, my wife and daughter on a visit earlier this month. (Casual viewers of the show, such as myself, will find the place enjoyable, too, especially with a peanut butter cupcake from the bakery.) On the program, the Gaines offer prospective buyers three repair-needy houses, the couple chooses one, Joanna designs the makeover, Chip builds it, both enlist the services of Waco firms and boutiques, and a homely house becomes a cool home.
Though Waco’s population is twice as large as Terre Haute, the towns share commonalities. They’re both college towns, positioned on a historic river and desperately trying to escape the shadow of past unpleasantries. Mention “Waco” and outsiders think of deadly standoffs between the Branch Davidian cult and federal agents in 1993, and bikers and police at Twin Peaks restaurant in last year.
Just as Terre Haute is more than its bygone smell, red light district, 1935 general strike and gambling past, Waco possesses amenities worthy of becoming the town’s signature elements. “Fixer Upper” shines a spotlight on those pluses. (It also frustrates do-it-yourselfers like me. Chip, Joanna and their Waco talent pool can transform an ugly house into a gem in a 43-minute episode, while it takes me hours to hang a door straight. But never mind that.)
Like Terre Haute, one of Waco’s biggest hurdles to growth was getting locals to believe in the town. “Fixer Upper” helped. “We have a lot of things to see, but what [the show] has really changed is these nice people come on TV every week and talk about how much they love Waco,” said Morton, a native of the city who came back after living in San Antonio and Laredo.
Waco, where the university and health care provide the most local jobs, already was on a rise when the show debuted in 2013. The city has added 7,551 residents since 2010, a 6 percent jump to a current population of 132,356. “It’s taken a lot of work,” Morton said. “Having Magnolia has been a huge jump for us, but we were working that way.”
A 2013 edition of a state travel magazine, Texas Highways, ranked Waco the state’s third most popular destination, trailing only San Antonio and Denton. The Brazos River, the nation’s 11th longest stream, flows through a 416-acre local park, with a lighted, seven-mile, multi-purpose riverwalk. The river development allows Baylor football fans to “sail-gate” at games, partying on boats docked along the river. Fans of the show know Chip and Joanna are Baylor grads.
The campus, riverwalk, shops, restaurants, businesses, bridge and housing stock happened before HGTV discovered the Gaines. “They’re not new, but now they’re being featured on a cool, new show,” Morton said. And, they’re more appreciated.
“A lot of things that people didn’t look at as beautiful before, they seem them differently now,” she said. The attention is more than television superficial. The Gaines invested $1.4 million to turn the utilitarian-looking block around the idled silos into a bustling market, store and bakery, with food vendor trucks lining the adjacent street, according to the Waco Tribune. The city chipped in $208,376 in tax increment financing funds for the project. Yes, Waco has TIF districts, just like Terre Haute.
Terre Haute has many of the same qualities as Waco. TV show or not, a town thrives or struggles, depending on how it sees itself.