Wichita Falls approves Winco and 7 Brew agreements

On Tuesday, the Wichita Falls city council approved two agreements that will help build a Winco supermarket and a new 7 Brew coffee shop. The plans include road construction to improve access to these businesses. The Winco deal involves building a new road parallel to Lawrence Road. The company will receive up to $1.284 million from tax increment financing to help pay for part of South Wenonah Avenue. This road will connect Kell Boulevard to Gregory Road and provide access to the supermarket, which is expected to open in September and employ around 125 workers. City officials believe this deal will save taxpayers between $800,000 and $1 million compared to what it would cost for the city to build the road on its own. Additional plans are also in place to extend South Wenonah Avenue further south, using another $2.7 million in tax increment funds. The agreement with 7 Brew will create a turn lane from Piedmont Place into their new drive-thru coffee shop. 7 Brew will cover $100,000 for the turn lane construction, while the city will pay $30,000 to move a traffic signal away from the new lane. The new coffee location will be near McDonald's on Kemp Boulevard and is set to open this summer, creating 50 to 60 jobs. Some residents, including Carol Murray, who owns Frank & Joe's coffee houses, expressed concerns about possible traffic, noise, and stormwater runoff issues related to the new developments.