By Ben Stewart
After operating successful market squares in Mont Belvieu and Waco for years, Craig and Katie Russell of Hardin are setting their sights closer to home in Liberty. In the coming months, they plan to open up a Liberty market square that will feature food trucks and an outlet for other entrepreneurs to sell their wares.
The Russells’ property is located at 2818 N. Main, near Walmart, Dollar Tree and Potetz Home Center. Katie Russell, an entrepreneur at heart, has loved local businesses ever since she was a little girl. She says that selling fruits and vegetables on the side of the road with her father, Bobby Rawlinson, sparked the passion. To her, local business is how communities become family.
Her husband, Craig, shares her passion. Together they started their first business in 2011 with the opening of a vintage furniture and home décor store in Waco. Since then they have successfully transferred their store to Mont Belvieu where they still currently operate today.
Katie retired from education in 2018 and Craig continues to work as an associate broker for Texas Ranch Sales, LLC.
Staying true to their roots, many of the design choices for the Liberty market square reflect the personalities of the owners. When discussing the overall design of the park, Katie said, “We have a master plan for the complex of which will include a food truck park along with retail space. The look and feel of the complex will be farmhouse style, including white buildings with wooden trim and wooden barn doors. Exterior lighting and landscaping will add to the overall farmhouse look.”
Meticulously planned out, the Russells have created a three-step plan for the development of what they are calling Market Square: Shopping and Food Truck Park. Currently they are finishing up with Step 1, which included the creation of the food truck area, new asphalt, electrical work and plumbing.
After this is finished, they will begin working on phase 2 later this summer, which will be an entire cosmetic overhaul of the four commercial buildings. Some of the improvements planned are repainting the exteriors, installing new windows and doors, replacing the trim, landscaping and installing exterior lighting. After all of this is complete, the final step will be to upgrade the interior and make it available for more retail space.
With such an ambitious future ahead, Market Square: Shopping and Food Truck Park is definitely going to stay on everyone’s radar. Updates on future food trucks, featured stores and events can be found on their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/MarketSquareLibertyTX, and on Instagram @marketsquaretexas.
The Russells say they will be announcing their starting food truck lineup on either of these two social media platforms within the next couple of weeks.
