EARLY – Blustery weather and overcast skies could not dampen the enthusiasm of the 200-plus guests at the ribbon cutting and dedication Friday of the Early Town Center Boardwalk.

The 1,100-foot-long, 40,000-square-foot boardwalk is the flagship structure of the Early Town Center, Early City Administrator Tony Aaron said.

Elected officials from Early and Brownwood were among the guests as numerous speakers expounded on the accomplishment of building the boardwalk and what it means to the community. Representatives of the Early and Brownwood chambers of commerce held a ribbon cutting at the boardwalk’s entrance.

“It’s getting to the end of one thing,  but it’s opening the door to the next chapter,” Aaron said after the ribbon cutting. “We’ve accomplished something. People are out here enjoying this boardwalk. The next chapter is, this is going to come back to the community and bring more return for our investment.”

“But right now it’s really all about the beautiful people that are here just enjoying the park.”

The boardwalk dedication kicked off three days of events that coincide with the Major League Fishing tournament, which ends Sunday.

Before the dedication began, people gathered around a large gas fire pit, seeking the warmth of the flames. Emcee Bob James announced the beginning of the dedication, and guests gathered in chairs under the boardwalk’s sail shade or stood nearby in a large group. James introduced speakers who’d had involvement with the park and boardwalk including Early Mayor Bob Mangrum.

“Today we are not simply opening a park,” Mangrum said. “We’re opening a place where life will happen, a place where children will laugh and play, where families will gather, where neighbors will connect, and where lasting memories will be made.

“It stands as proof of what can be accomplished when a community comes together with a shared purpose. To everyone who played a role in bringing this park from idea to reality, thank you. Your dedication has created something that will serve this town for generations.”

The park lives up to its name and is the center of the town, Mangrum said.

Guests heard from additional speakers including Darrin St Ama, owner of Savage Saint Design and Fabrication and representatives of the Early Municipal Development District, Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries, Volkert Engineering, the Brownwood and Early chambers of commerce and The Retail Coach.

Before offering some of his own observations, James asked guests to applaud for members of the Wyman Kelcy family.

“Wyman and his family owned this property that we’re on for a long time,” James said. “They were good stewards of this property. The Kelcy family sold this property to the Early MDD in 2020, and now the City of Early, I promise you, will continue the stewardship that is long sown into this property for years to come.”

Sally England, president of the Early Chamber of Commerce, said, “today is more than just a ribbon-cutting. This boardwalk represents commerce, partnership, and pride in the place we call home. This space is designed not only for recreation, but for connection, a place where families can gather, friends can meet, and visitors can experience natural beauty and hospitality from the folks up in here.”

Aaron, the final speaker, began by saying, “I think it’s really important for us to end almost where we started, and that is thanking the Lord Jesus Christ. We have an opportunity to do great things for our community, and it comes from the Lord. Thank you, Jesus.”

Aaron went on to say that he is proud of his family and of the leadership of the mayor and council.

“I think that Team Early and all the contractors that were involved in this project, delivered high above the expectation that was set to us by the mayor and the council,” Aaron said. “I’m very proud to have a partner like (Assistant City Administrator) Larry McConn.”

When the city bought the land in 2020, Aaron said, he asked himself, “are we going to be able to do this?”

“I knew what was in front of us was not going to be easy, but I believed one of two things was going to happen,” Aaron said. “Either this was going to be a great success, or I was going to be leaving Brown County.

“I’m proud of this community. And I don’t mean Early. I don’t mean Brownwood. I don’t mean a place. I mean a people. I mean you.”

Architects Tod Hanson and John Pathak of and Tod Hanson of Schwarz-Hanson Architect were among those in attendance.

“We’ve been working with the city,” Hanson said. “We worked on the visitor center, so we’ve been working with Tony and Larry for some time and helping them get this vision come to realization. We were asked to help do the master plan and then this boardwalk design. I really think from the beginning, as everybody was saying in the speeches today, it’s a catalyst for a regional destination.

“Our goal was to bring to life the activity spaces that people are going to use and engage them with the lake, and the park and the fire pit, and just create opportunities that allow all ages and people to come out here and interact as a community,  and hopefully build an economic engine, as everybody’s been saying, with the mixed use.”

The Early Town Center is a 25-acre mixed-use development, designed to include retail, dining, offices, housing, a hotel and a parking garage.