Following an executive session during Tuesday afternoon’s meeting, the Brownwood Municipal Development District Board of Directors voted to approve Downtown Retail Opportunity Program grants not to exceed $25,000 for future businesses located at 307 Fisk and 100 North Center Avenue.

The Brownwood City Council must ratify the BMDD’s Board action at its next meeting.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, BMDD Executive Director Ray Tipton informed the board that TABAT Properties, which is bringing the Shops on Commerce to Brownwood, has submitted to the City its constructions plans on “the Ross project” and development services have issued multiple permits for the project. There is no specific timeline for construction to start, by Tipton added, “we’re moving closer every day.”

Announced in January of this year, the Shops on Commerce development will be located at 537 W. Commerce and feature Ross, Ulta Beauty, Five Below, Bath & Body Works and James Avery. The new center was scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2026 when the announcement was made earlier in 2025.

Also, excavation work is ongoing at Coggin Park at the site of the new basketball courts, and improvements on the walking trail continue as well.

Tipton also shared highlights of the potential 2025-26 fiscal year budget with the Board, which will not be approved by the Brownwood City Council until September. Most notably, the BMDD is currently setting aside $250,000 for Parks and Recreation, which Tipton stated could be used to assist with the Phase II improvements at Riverside Park.