Bryan's downtown revitalization efforts began three years ago, and progress is being made every day. The city's efforts caught the attention of the Texas Downtown Association, so much so that they chose Bryan's downtown to hold their annual conference this week.

"We are so honored that they choose our downtown. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to not only showcase downtown, and to gather information from other cities and see what they've done," said Beth Wilson, Bryan's Assistant City Planner.

Bryan is starting the second phase of a five phase master plan. Phase 1 focused on Main Street and improvements to streets, sidewalks, and landscaping is complete.

"Phase 1 took about a year to design and a little over a year to construct," said Wilson.

But Phase 2, which focuses on Bryan Avenue, will take a little longer. Overhead power lines and telephone wires need to be placed underground.

The city hopes its efforts to spruce up downtown will not only bring more business and development to the area, but also restore a bit of the old, small town charm.

"We want to see a mix of businesses like what we're seeing now. We want to see the shops, the boutiques, the restaurants, the offices, and we also like the new loft spaces," said John Hendry with the Downtown Bryan Economic Development Association.

City planners say the downtown facelift is staying on track. They hope to see the master plan completed over the next eight to 15 years.