The ups and downs of downtown Wichita Falls

The state of the downtown area of Wichita Falls has been a talking point among community members for a few years now. While the city has put an applaudable amount of effort into fixing up and preserving many of the historical buildings downtown, some residents feel they’ve dropped the ball on other areas.

What makes for a thriving downtown isn’t just appealing architecture or evident preservation of a city’s unique history. The success of a downtown area is heavily dependent on the traffic that goes through it. Mostly, that relies on the food and businesses that are located there. 

While Wichita Falls’ downtown has seen many unique businesses that appealed to locals and even those from out of town, the city has struggled to retain many of them. There are several factors for why businesses closed or relocated from downtown, including security concerns, costs, and a general lack of business. In part, this is  business owners feeling the city is not prioritizing their concerns but in part, it is dependent upon the community showing consistent support for local businesses.

Wichita Falls downtown area is considerably good sized compared to the downtown sites of other similarly sized cities. Many residents commonly note the potential of the downtown area for this reason, speaking of hopes for a downtown revival. However, the likelihood of that happening depends heavily on the area’s appeal to new businesses and its ability to keep them.

New kids on the block: what do new downtown business inhabitants think?

Withershins Menagerie, owned by Maddie Gerber, is a business that knows the benefits and downsides of having a business downtown all too well. The store, which Maddie’s mother, Amy Walker, helps run has been downtown multiple times. Many who are familiar with the business know that it’s had to move locations several times. They began downtown and have moved away and back again more times than they like to recount. They said that often, a new store does well for a few months, like a “shiny new toy” and then people stop turning out. 

When Withershins landed in the mall, they were quite pleased with the location for the price they were paying. However, as many in the community know, the plans for Sikes Center Mall have changed and businesses will not be allowed to remain there. After waiting around for several empty promises to be fulfilled, Walker and Gerber began looking elsewhere for a home for the store. They reached out to a friend that owns business in the area, which resulted in them landing downtown again at 620 Scott Avenue.

They explained that, despite their back and forth dance with a downtown location, a lot of what landed them here was simply availability. They added that some business fronts in town cost up to $6,000 a month to rent. While they’re grateful to have the location they have and at an affordable price, they’re weary of the consistency in business. 

“People come down here for business purposes, not shopping,” Walker said.

Gerber and Walker feel that there are several contributing factors for why there aren’t as many stores or restaurants in the downtown area. These include, poor lighting at night, a need for better security measures, and a need for better parking options. They believe addressing these issues would make the downtown area feel safer and more inviting to customers and potential local businesses.

There are also things they like about the new location that allow them to maintain some level of hope. They said it has a comfortable energy, is in an aesthetically appealing historical building, and they are grateful for the landlord’s help preparing it. In addition, they know certain events contribute to traffic, such as the artwalks. 

“I do like that it’s closer to other businesses that I personally support,” Gerber said.

A community-wide threat to what brings business and joy

Of course, it was revealed in the last week that the future of the artwalks is uncertain at the time. Walker and Gerber said they would give the new location a fair chance, but if it didn’t succeed, they’d have to consider moving somewhere more accommodating, like Dallas. 

In early February, Wichita Falls Downtown Development, which has undergone several budget changes as of late, announced that they would no longer be putting on the art walks. This created an uproar across the community, considering how it would impact downtown and the greater area. City officials quickly responded by claiming that this didn’t mean Art Walks would disappear completely and that the city planned to address the matter. 

In the February 3 city council meeting the art walk was a major talking point for many members of the community. Numerous people showed up to voice their concern for the fate of the art walks and even offered suggestions for how to affordably keep it going. 

“We’ve identified several options that we’re gonna explore to make the art walk happen in twenty twenty six, we just need a little bit of time to explore what option works best for us long term,” City Manager, Jeff Jenkins said.

Other city officials also voiced their support for the art walks. Some officials responded to community concern around the topic by suggesting that people apply for boards so that they can make their voices heard proactively. That said, while concerns have been shared, no active plan has been made for how the city will address the issue. 

Amy Walker was even among those residents at the meeting that spoke to the importance of the art walks to the area. She acknowledged that there were options for how to keep it afloat and that a lot of residents had additional ideas that they’d be willing to share and just need an outlet to do so. She also asked the council to consider extending the times for the art walk to more than once a week and more than six months of the year. 

“Aren’t we the community? Aren’t we allowed to be a part of this? We brought you to your office – represent us by allowing us to speak to you, not just close us out and say what you think is good for the community – we’re the community. We know what’s good for us,” Walker shared.

Many of the other concerns voiced in the meeting included the impact on local artists, tourist attraction, and the appeal to new residents. Some noted that for Wichita Falls to grow, attractions like the art walks were an undeniable necessity. 

“It affects our quality of life. How do we expect to attract a younger population here?” Samuel Pak, a local resident asked. “ This consistently brings our diverse community together, more than any other event in our city.”

Gone with the winds of change: perspective of a business that left

However, for other businesses, even successful events like the art walk weren't enough to provide consistent business. James and Sammi Hanger are the owners of OG Cellars, which until a month ago was located downtown in the Holt building. While OG became a business in 2016, they didn’t open up shop in Wichita Falls until 2022, after COVID. They were seeking a more populated area to start a second location and felt that downtown was a good choice. 

“Since we lived in Wichita Falls, it made sense to open up here. Downtown seemed to be on the rise,” James said.

He said business the first couple years wasn’t bad but it slowed down considerably in 2024 and 2025. While they like the location in the historic Holt, they didn’t see the state of downtown improving anytime soon. As a result, they decided to relocate, which landed them at their new location in Century Plaza. Being more centralized, they hope the new location will generate more success than downtown was able to.

Communication is key

Each person that strolls through downtown Wichita Falls can witness the potential of the area through its size and remarkably preserved historical architecture. That said, it simply cannot grow if it can’t appeal to local business and thus provide more reasons for people to visit it. With so many businesses leaving downtown and so many new businesses hesitant to get a location there, it will be difficult for it to gain the attention it needs to truly reach a state of revival. 

Gerber and Walker, along with much of the community, feel that the only way necessary changes can be made to better downtown is if the city listens to the concerns of residents and local business owners alike. Dark Roast attempted to reach out to city entities multiple times over the last few weeks, in an attempt to get their perspective on the matter. These included the Mayor, the Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce, Wichita Falls Downtown Development, and Forward Wichita Falls. We did not receive a response from any of these city representatives. This only further illustrates the need for transparency and communication between the city and the community. The best way to understand any area is to listen to those that inhabit it.

For those interested in creating change in the state of downtown, reach out to city officials, support local businesses, and create platforms for sharing perspectives, such as attending city council meetings, starting petitions, and joining boards. The only way change can be created in a community, if the community comes together to achieve it.