Education On The Square?

So after I visited downtown Hillsboro, I began to think about what types of businesses could possibly open or relocate to the Main Street Historic District. There seemed to be a mixture of businesses there that are thriving, but I feel that there needs to be something else that could increase foot traffic. I know that over on I35 there is a Starbucks, McDonalds, and a number of the large national chain fast-food and casual dining restaurants (Black-eyed Pea, etc.) so the possibility of them relocating to downtown is slim to none.  Huh….so I began to brainstorm and I came up with possibly of creating a downtown education center that would allow students to complete a bachelor or masters degree right there in Hillsboro. I mentioned this to a resident and she instantly said “it would conflict with Hill”. My response was no, you create an agreement with Hill that would allow students to complete their first two years at Hill, and the last two at the University Center.

Texas tech @ Junction

Texas A&M-Commerce - Corsicana

 I suggested that maybe the city could partner with one the universities in the general vicinity such as Tarleton State, Texas A&M-Central Texas, or maybe one of the smaller private universities in the area.  My thought process is if you bring students to the area, they are going to need books, food, and other services that can be provided by one of the other local business located downtown. This would also allow the city to market itself as place where a company could possibly relocate and their workforce would have access to training programs and facilities.  Since companies now want a smarter and more highly skilled workforce, this could serve as a recruiting tool as well as catalyst for the development of other businesses in the area. In my opinion, the infrastructure is there and one of the existing vacant buildings on the square could easily be converted to serve as the education center.

Example University Center Elevation