PK Couple The force behind Mineral Wells revitalization Story
by Steve Nussbaum | Photos courtesy of Misty Nix
Folks passing through Mineral Wells in the past few years might have noticed a huge change in the downtown area, and the driving force behind this urban renaissance is the husband-and-wife team of Randy and Misty Nix.
Their vision of the future is revamping the community, and those changes could easily carry over to Palo Pinto County and Possum Kingdom Lake, too. No longer will PK folks just stop at the Walmart on their way to the lake, look at the historic Baker Hotel and say, “Wow, that’s a cool old building.†The boarded-up buildings are getting a new lease on life, and PK will be a big part of that revival.
Randy and Misty Nix met in 1985 at The Landing Condominiums at Possum Kingdom Lake. Misty Nix grew up in Lubbock, but her family owned a condo there for several years. Randy Nix grew up in Mineral Wells and spent many weekends at the lake with friends. They married a year after meeting and began building their business, the Nix Sprinkler Co., which was based in Mineral Wells but served many customers at the lake. The company, which the couple sold in 2014, has built and serviced sprinkler systems throughout PK, including those in The Cliffs, The Ranch, The Harbor and the peninsula.
Although both had worked at PK for almost 30 years and enjoyed time at the condo of Misty Nix’s parents, they never had bought a place of their own at the lake, even though that had been a longtime dream of theirs. After selling their business, that dream became a reality when they purchased a house on the peninsula.
Misty Nix said it was just a few weeks after selling their business that they were finally able to sit on their own lake house patio and enjoy a wonderful PK sunset. While enjoying the peace of the lake, they heard a nearby work crew and saw Nix Sprinkler Co. employees on a job at a neighbor’s house. Misty Nix said it was one of those surreal moments when the two of them were able to relax and not worry about what was happening on the project.
At the same time, though, both had grown tired of the ongoing neglect of their hometown, so in 2018 they took matters into their own hands and began the changes that can be witnessed today.
The two of them decided to start a downtown renewal with or without the Baker Hotel project, starting at one end of downtown with the creation of The Market at 76067 and stretching to the other end of Oak Street with the revitalization of The Crazy Water Hotel.
The Market at 76067 is a unique shopping experience, with a beautiful merchandising space encompassing 11,000 square feet that entices shoppers to look around for their next great purchase. It’s comparable to any store to be found in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, yet unlike any other at the same time. Misty Nix described The Market at 76067 as “having the look of Anthropologie, the feel of a department store and the concept of a consignment shop.†More than 150 different vendors have settled into the building, with the overall presentation as one continuous, beautiful space.
When developing The Market at 76067, Randy Nix told his wife to “create a space that will get those traveling to PK to stop,†and even though they bought the ugliest building in downtown, they transformed it into a beautiful swan with a unique shopping experience. The outside is always decorated with seasonal themes and beautiful landscaping that entices visitors to stop, and the space is anchored by Coffee and Cocktails, a nice place to unwind in the evening or while shopping.
Down the street is The Crazy Water Hotel project. The hotel is owned by 88 folks with ties to Mineral Wells who share a common interest in investing in the city. The 7-story building, which got its start in 1912 and then was rebuilt after a fire in 1927, was part of the health and wellness industry that brought people to Mineral Wells during the 1920s and ’30s.
The hotel’s grand re-opening took place in 2021, and it now houses 54 hotels rooms, 20 apartments, 10 retail shops, two conference rooms and two event spaces. The first guests to stay at the hotel last year were the cast and crew from the hit TV drama “1883.†The visitors spent much of the summer and early fall filming in Palo Pinto County.
Misty Nix and her retail business partner Shawn Brown are involved in seven ventures in The Market at 76067 and The Crazy Water Hotel. They include The Market, Coffee and Cocktails, The Perfect Pair, Sensology, and the soon-to-open Uptown Man, Toytopia and Christmas Magic. Since the start of this redevelopment in 2018, there have been 36 new businesses open in downtown Mineral Wells.
The Nix team has accomplished much in the past three years, but the couple isn’t stopping now. With the scheduled opening of the totally renovated Baker Hotel in 2025, there is still plenty of work to be done. In the short term, there are plans for a new dog park, food truck park and expanded retail options, and the city has been designated as a film-friendly city and is working on a designation as a music-friendly city, too. These efforts are part of the expansion of cultural experience designed to complement what already is in development.
The Nixes foresee Possum Kingdom playing a huge part in the redevelopment of the entire area, where visitors can access three lakes, the Brazos River and two state parks. The way they see it, people have been driving through Mineral Wells on their way to PK for years, and those same travelers now will have numerous reasons to stop and spend time in their community, too. Their idea is to make Mineral Wells part of a complete lake experience.
The entire area, in their view, is poised for more full-time residents and longer-term visitors who will have more amenities and reasons to stay. The couple’s goal is to create the ultimate backyard for those in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex while showcasing the area’s rich history, endless list of activities and some of the most beautiful scenery in Texas.
