Waco city leaders plan to put regulations in place to address a construction method that's begun growing in popularity.
Lots of developers see metal shipping containers as the wave of the future, but city leaders don't want them just anywhere.
What makes these so popular? With so many businesses selling their wares on the internet, they have less interest in so-called "brick and mortar" buildings. So, many see shipping containers as affordable, small spaces to work from.
"They're gonna be stacked on top of each other with patios," said realtor Gregg Glime, who represents one of the newest and most unique construction projects in Central Texas.
"The Containery" mostly consists of metal shipping containers, something even Glime had trouble envisioning until he saw the developer's plans.
"I thought he was crazy. I didn’t see the vision and as I sat down with him it really started to lay out I thought 'wow, we've got something really special here,'” said Glime.
The "all-steel" construction has begun catching on around the country, making a splash not only in commercial construction, but residential as well... and that last part concerns Waco city leaders.
What caught the city's interest in container buildings? One which just appeared at Colcord and 11th Street. Neighbors called Waco City Councilman Dillon Meek to question whether it fit in with the neighborhood.
So Meek brought it to the council which directed the city planner to look into regulations governing the containers.
"Some cities prohibit them completely but a lot of cities are allowing them in and around Texas,” said Waco Planning Director Clint Peters, who sees a lot of potential for containers, as long as the metal boxes fit the character of their surroundings.
"I think the city is open to looking at unique and different types of construction, and just trying to balance that with character,” said Peters.
He says city leaders don't just want a metal box plopped down on an empty lot in the city's neighborhoods, without plans to modify it to fit in better with its surroundings... something he says, builders can do, easily.
Even developers of The Containery believe design rules can help enhance the use of shipping containers in both residential and commercial developments.
"If they don't regulate how these projects are put together, I think we could end up with some real eyesores, whereas on the flipside, I think The Containery development is gonna be an example of how nicely this product can turn out,” said Glime.
He says the containers, properly outfitted, can provide stronger, cheaper housing for businesses and people, and look no different than other buildings or homes around them.
The planning director aims to have his regulations ready to present to the council sometime in the first quarter of next year.
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