Downtown Killeen redevelopment includes $10,000 branding campaign

Kizito was hired in August when her position was created following a recommendation by Dallas consultant Kevin Shepherd of Verdunity, the company that helped craft Killeen’s 2022 comprehensive plan. She said in an email the branding campaign is part of that initiative.

“This branding for our downtown is needed to move forward on a number of initiatives in our comprehensive plan,” she said. “This initiative includes design mockups of our future wayfinding and gateways signs, as well as designs that will be used to activate the windows of vacant and available properties downtown.”

About 70% of the properties downtown are vacant. Bounded on the north by east-west corridor Rancier Avenue and on the south by Veterans Memorial Boulevard, downtown Killeen includes what was the original town founded in 1882 with the arrival of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway.

“In the future, this branding will be used to activate open spaces in downtown for events, including our farmers market,” Kizito said.

Since joining the city, Kizito has helped strengthen the city’s vacant structure registration ordinance that assesses fines against non-compliant property owners and created a downtown advisory committee, and is completing the citys’ Main Street application.

“To be accredited for the Main Street program, there are six standards every community must meet,” Kizito said. “Standard No. 1 has a focus area of communication and public relations and requires downtown districts to create and implement branding.”

Benefits of becoming a Texas Main Street city include training and professional development for Killeen’s director of downtown revitalization and assistance to downtown businesses to support branding and marketing. The Texas Historical Commission each year chooses up to five cities for Main Street designation. Across Texas are 90 such communities, including Temple and Waco.

In Killeen, CivicBrand is developing a “downtown logo package” following a visit to the area.

“On that visit, we would participate in a walking tour of downtown, conduct an in-person focus group with business owners, produce an online-style diagnostic for residents, businesses and staff to take, conduct a staff virtual meeting and provide up to (two) rounds of revisions on logo concepts,” according to the company’s agreement with the city.

The cost of the contract is $10,000.

“In addition to the logo files and brand guidelines, CivicBrand would also design banner-style mockups, wayfinding (and) gateway sign mockups and a website homepage mockup that all match the new brand identity look and feel.”

In Texas, CivicBrand has completed “recent projects” in Richardson, Burleson, Denison, Sachse, Plano, Waco, Texarkana, Lewisville, Little Elm, Kerrville and Farmers Branch.

Meanwhile, a survey remained open on Tuesday on the city’s website to solicit residents’ “impressions of downtown (and) ideas community members have for how our historic downtown can look in the future.”

The survey is at killeentexas.gov/downtown.