"This will truly become a destination for gathering, connection, small business and unforgettable experiences," Ashley Stone Hernandez told Community Impact this month. She was talking about two century-old houses she and Jamie Hurley bought at 128 and 136 Bates St.
Between the two houses is a historic railroad ticket booth on loan from the Keller History Museum. Its sign reads "Interurban Lines," the electric rail network that once connected Fort Worth to Dallas, Cleburne, Denison, Corsicana and Waco. Keller built Bates Street as a public space first. Now private owners plan to add a coffee shop, a dessert counter and public restrooms, the things that give people a reason to stay there.
The city built the stage before anyone moved in
Bates Street didn't change overnight. The City of Keller's Old Town Keller Phase II records show the council discussing artist-designed benches for Bates Street on Sept. 21, 2021, and approving the bid to rebuild the street on March 22, 2022. The city lists both the street reconstruction and Bates Street Park as complete.
The park opened with a ribbon cutting on Oct. 5, 2024. The city's construction plans called for an elevated pavilion for solo and small-group performances, plus benches, a walking path, new landscaping and room for games. Old Town Keller's own guide counts 11 artist-designed benches along the street and lists string lighting, public art and seating as part of the improvements.
That gave Keller a finished outdoor room, but two buildings on the street still sat empty. The houses at 128 and 136 Bates had been vacant for more than three years. One was formerly the Keller Station House & History Museum, and the other was Catherine Anne's Books.
Two old houses, two new names
The project is called The Keller Depot, and its first phase is about putting those two houses back to use. Hernandez said 128 Bates St. will be called The Station House, a nod to the former train museum. The house at 136 Bates St. will be The Jackson Cottage. Each one dates back at least 100 years. The owners hope to put a coffee shop in one and a dessert business in the other.
The properties share a fence line with 139 Olive, the event center Hernandez already runs on the next street over. The backyards are getting turf to match 139 Olive's lawn, and the plan connects the rear of both houses to the event center. When it's finished, the block between Bates and Olive would work as one connected set of yards.
Renovation was set to start after National Night Out on Oct. 6. The goal is to have both buildings ready to lease by December. That's a leasing target. No opening date for a coffee or dessert tenant has been announced.
What the city was asked to pay for
The Keller City Council voted on three items for the Keller Depot on Sept. 15, 2026. Taken together, they point the city's money at what keeps people on the street longer as well as at better storefronts.
| Council item, Sept. 15, 2026 | Address | What it covers | Amount requested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facade improvement grant | 128 Bates St. | Siding, sheathing, windows, trim, porch expansion and railing; $23,820 in proposed work | $10,000 |
| Facade improvement grant | 136 Bates St. | Exterior upgrades including awnings; $22,500 in proposed work | $10,000 |
| Chapter 380 economic development agreement | 128 and 136 Bates St. | Publicly accessible restrooms at 128 Bates and a commercial grease trap at 136 Bates | Up to $61,740, approved as amended |
According to the city staff memo on the Chapter 380 agreement, the owners proposed running, cleaning and stocking the restrooms at their own expense and keeping them open to the public every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. for 10 years. The memo says the restrooms would support visitor access, later hours and more activity along Bates Street. The council approved the agreement as amended, so the final amount, hours and terms may differ from that proposal.
The grease trap comes with its own condition. Under the proposal, the owners pay for it up front. The city reimburses them only after they sign a lease with a food or coffee tenant at 136 Bates St. and start pop-up programming at the Depot. Any reimbursement also requires completed work, inspections and proof of payment. In practice, the city pays only once a food or coffee tenant has signed.
The owners report about $125,000 in planned Phase 1 investment, not counting what they paid for the properties. The city request covers only that first phase. A proposed Phase 2, The Keller Depot Platform, would bring pop-up vendors, food trucks, small-business showcases and shared seating. Phase 3, The Depot Marketplace, is described as a conceptual small-business incubator, with timing that depends on costs, permits and tenant demand. Hernandez has also said that being next to Bates Street Park could make it a "festival street." That's her idea, as reported by Community Impact, and not an adopted city plan.
The trial run already happened
You don't need to wait for December to see how this works. The first evening on Bates took place on Sept. 25 with music, food and local vendors. Photos from the Old Town Keller fall guide show Punky Doodle's treat table and The Grazing Cavi's popcorn cart that night.
The event is now called Depot Nights, and it returns to Bates Street Park twice this fall, both times from 6 to 9 p.m. On Friday, Oct. 23, Brandon McLaughlin starts the live music at 7 p.m. On Friday, Nov. 27, the "Shop Small, Stay Awhile" night falls on Thanksgiving weekend. Event updates are posted at kellerdepot.com.
How Bates fits next to Main Street
Old Town's two main streets already fill different hours. Most of the Main Street listings in the current fall guide start at night. Karaoke with DJ Big E at Keller Tavern, 128 S. Main St., runs 9 p.m. to midnight on several Thursdays through Nov. 19. Shotzee's, at 134 S. Main St., has bands starting at 7:30 or 8:30 p.m. Hollywood's Pour Shack, at 250 S. Main St., hosts a Halloween Bash with Reanimate 1988 from 9 p.m. to midnight on Oct. 31.
Bates Street and the Olive Street block behind it keep earlier, family-friendly hours. Depot Nights wraps up at 9 p.m. The Keller History Museum at 133 Bates St. has been on the street since 2013. It's free and open Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Salt & Light Collective at 138 Olive St. runs classes that start as young as age 5, including a cookie class on Oct. 25 and a three-session Supper Club cooking course for ages 10 and up on Nov. 2, 9 and 16. The day-to-evening hours the Depot proposed for its restrooms fit this end of Old Town.
Main Street has had its own changes this fall. Luna Loco opened at 228 S. Main St. on Aug. 27. Raven Moon Collective opened at 419 N. Main St. on Sept. 27, selling alternative clothing and work by local artists. On Olive Street, Cafe Medi closed its Keller location at 129 E. Olive St. in September after 13 years and pointed customers to its Hurst restaurant. That leaves an empty restaurant address on Olive Street, the same street as 139 Olive, just as the Depot is preparing food-ready space next door on Bates.
Bates Street and the blocks around it through Thanksgiving weekend
Here are the dates that put you on Bates Street or a block away, all from the Old Town Keller fall guide unless noted:
- Oct. 23, 6 to 9 p.m.: Depot Nights at Bates Street Park, with Brandon McLaughlin at 7 p.m.
- Oct. 29, 6 to 9 p.m.: 3D LED Moon Wall Art Workshop with Muse & Make at 139 Olive St., $95 per person, registration required.
- Oct. 29, 7 to 9 p.m.: Lotería at Luna Loco, 228 S. Main St.
- Nov. 2, 7 to 9 p.m.: Día de Los Muertos Reiki Sound Bath Ceremony at Nopalita Café, 139 S. Elm St.
- Nov. 20: Worship night with Communion Coffee on Bates Street. Communion Coffee operates a mobile coffee trailer, so confirm the time with them.
- Nov. 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: SUNMED's Sip & Shop Christmas Market at 255C S. Main St., free admission.
- Nov. 27, 6 to 9 p.m.: Depot Nights "Shop Small, Stay Awhile" at Bates Street Park.
The city calendar also lists Holly Days for Friday, Dec. 4, from 5 to 9 p.m. If The Keller Depot meets its December leasing target, that's the same month the two houses on Bates could start taking on tenants.
If you live near Old Town and are wondering how changes like the work on Bates Street fit into your home's value, Sophie Tel Diaz Real Estate can help you see where things stand. Request a complimentary home valuation.
