Memorial Weekend kicks off the season in Gun Barrel City, Texas, a fast-growing community that thrives on the summer months when thousands visit Cedar Creek Lake. The town is located just 50 miles south and east of Dallas, but Gun Barrel City offers a relaxed, country pace that appeals to visitors, permanent residents, and city weekenders alike.
With a name as distinctive as its lakefront lifestyle, Gun Barrel City has a lot going for it, including steady growth. The population increased more than 20 percent between the 2000 and 2010 Census, with current population figures at more than 6,500 residents. Over weekends in the summer, that population swells to as much as ten times that number around the lake, as "the weekenders" descend upon their lake homes.
To keep up with community needs, the city has adopted a pro-business attitude. Gun Barrel City is one of just a handful of towns in Texas without ad valorem taxes. The city also has an Economic Development Corporation that offers incentives to businesses interested in locating in the community.
We are actively pursuing retail businesses, restaurants, entertainment venues, and of course agriculture or light manufacturing that bring jobs and services, says Steve Webster, president of the EDC.
Currently the city is working on anchor tenants for its Heritage Cove development, which already includes a new La Quinta Inn, an 8-screen movie theatre, the popular Lake Jackson Seafood Restaurant, a retail strip, and plans for a Riverwalk-style pedestrian shopping and entertainment complex. Land grants, loans, loan guarantees and other incentives are available and are helping position Gun Barrel City as a place to do business.
According to Webster, the population growth in Gun Barrel City is fueled by two trends: families in search of small towns and exceptional schools, and a growing retirement population drawn to the lake and its affordable lifestyle. The combination of new residents and the large weekend population has created a vibrant local economy.
The Lifestyle
Cedar Creek Lake is one of the largest lakes in Texas, and one of only a few that allow property owners to have docks. With more than 350 miles of shoreline, the lake has plenty of lakefront property. Most Gun Barrel City neighborhoods offer lakefront homes, ranging from tiny cabins to million dollar estates.
Theres plenty of room on Cedar Creek Lake for fishing, sailing, water skiing, Personal Water Craft, or cruising on a party barge.
On July 2, the city hosts JulyFest, a festival featuring a line up of popular bands and a fireworks display in the city park. Fireworks can be viewed from anywhere on the lake, as hundreds of private docks become launch pads for impressive fireworks displays.
The July 4th celebrations around Cedar Creek Lake also include an over water Air Show that features vintage and high tech military aircraft that thrill hundreds of boaters who gather on the water to watch the aeronautic acrobatics.
Permanent Visitors
In 2009, Gun Barrel City was awarded the Go Texan Certified Retirement Community designation from the state of Texas, a distinction that has attracted retirees from around the nation who want an affordable lakefront retirement in a moderate climate near excellent medical care.
There really is something for everyone in Gun Barrel City. The lake is a huge draw, and real estate on the lake is affordable. Retirees often start out as weekenders. Before they know it, they move here full time, says Larry Spiegel, a Dallas advertising executive who himself started visiting the lake on weekends before moving to Gun Barrel City full time in 2005.
The close proximity to Dallas means Gun Barrel City is commuting distance, and the area also is popular for telecommuters and professionals who work from home.
If you can live anywhere in the world and do your work, this is a great place to be, Spiegel says.
For more information on Gun Barrel City, visit http://www.gbcedc.com or http://www.gunbarrelcity.net.
About Gun Barrel City, Texas
Gun Barrel City, Texas, offers Something for Everyone. Situated in rural Henderson County, about 50 miles from Dallas, the community offers small town hospitality and plenty of recreation. Fishing and water sports are top draws to Gun Barrel City, which is the commercial center of Cedar Creek Lake, one of the largest man-made reservoirs in Texas. During the summer months, Gun Barrel City enjoys a resort-like atmosphere with thousands of visitors, tourists, and weekend or summer residents increasing the population in the community. Gun Barrel City is a Go Texan Certified Retirement Community that is actively seeking new businesses, retail establishments, restaurants, and entertainment venues to meet the needs of its growing population. For more information, contact the Gun Barrel City Economic Development Corporation at 877-243-7896, or visit http://www.gbcedc.com or http://www.gunbarrelcity.net.
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