Over the last several years, the City of Corpus Christi has Over the last several years, the City of Corpus Christi has made significant financial investment in downtown. This made significant financial investment in downtown. This investment can be strengthened by the development of a investment can be strengthened by the development of a thriving downtown community.thriving downtown community.

We are pleased to present the Downtown Redevelopment We are pleased to present the Downtown Redevelopment Report. This report is aligned with the South Central Area Report. This report is aligned with the South Central Area Development Plan, and is presented in response to the Development Plan, and is presented in response to the City Council’s goal to redevelop our Downtown. City Council’s goal to redevelop our Downtown.

The Downtown Redevelopment Committee (DRC) started meeting on March 29, 2006.

• A total of 22 committee meetings were held, not including sub-committee and other meetings.

• The group is composed of various individuals representing community and private sector organizations.

The group sought background information from a variety of sources. • City staff provided extensive information on

projects, programs, and ordinances.

• Downtown Management District (DMD)

• Other communities: Downtown Harlingen - Mainstreet ProgramSan Antonio - Downtown Alliance Program

“Downtown Corpus Christi is a safe, clean, pedestrian friendly community comprised of a central business district, arts and culture, sports and entertainment areas. This unique, vibrant waterfront community will provide local residents, tourists, and families’ opportunities to enjoy its fine restaurants, shops and residential facilities.”

An analysis of the downtown area was conducted to determine:

•Strengths

•Weaknesses

•Opportunities

•Threats The top six categories for each analysis is presented in the following slides.

• Proximity to water & Water Events

• Entertainment/Arts, Culture, Events, Restaurants

• Proximity to tourism

• Can be pedestrian oriented

• Center for employment

• Investing in infrastructure: water, sewage and drainage

STRENGTHS

• Lack of real plan• Vacant buildings • Lack of housing • Underutilized parks • No grocery store• Lack of retail • Visually unappealing

WEAKNESSES

• Council priority

• Coastal location

• Vacant buildings

• Urban shifts

• Marina improvement

• The Ritz Theatre Restoration

OPPORTUNITIES

• Lack of marketing/Community perception/Lack of identity

• Divisiveness/Need to work together/Lack of leadership

• Lack of knowledge/ Cooperation/Absentee owners

• Ineffective codes • Brain drain

THREATS

Study of eleven downtowns across the countryby The Civic Fellows Programs of Cornell University

• No single organizational model exists• Multiple traffic generators within short walking

distance• Beloved by its citizens• Walkable

• Commitment to mixed use development• Broad public/private investment • Entertainment is a driving market segment• Strong, adjacent residential neighborhoods

within walking distance • Housing is either prevalent or underway

THEDOWNTOWN

FOCUSAREAS

RECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIESRECOMMENDATIONS AND STRATEGIES

1. Designs and Plans1. Designs and Plans

2. Infrastructure2. Infrastructure

3. Policies3. Policies

4. Business Development4. Business Development

5. Marketing 5. Marketing

6. Organizational Structure6. Organizational Structure

Connect Downtown neighborhoods through improvements in:

• Pedestrian Experience• Vehicular Access• Event Public Transit• Parks and Green Spaces

• Targeted improvements to Public infrastructure demonstrates, to potential private developers, a commitment to downtown

• A downtown residential community is the base from which other growth will emerge

• A revitalized downtown may ultimately draw renewal to adjacent neighborhoods and relieve stress on outward growth of City infrastructure

Implement a phased plan to make sidewalk improvements, at minimum one block at a time:• Sidewalks with pedestrian scale lighting,

emphasizing down lighting, safety, and ADA accessibility

• Electrical, Fiber Optic, and Irrigation upgrades installed during sidewalk improvement process

• Informational WiFi Kiosks at bus stops• WiFi prepaid parking meters

Improve streets, intersections, connectivity and wayfinding signage entering, between, and exiting downtown.

• Traffic Engineering provides recommendations to improve the traffic flow between all downtown areas, particularly after peak events

• Improve traffic connectivity between S.E.A. town and Downtown with emphasis on making Chaparral St. southward toward I37 as a two-way arterial with parallel parking

• Where feasible, East/West streets in Downtown become one-lane, one-way, with angled parking

Continue to support Marina improvements.• Maximize visibility & usage, improve landscaping,

and tourist retail/commercial interactivity on the

T-Heads• Support and encourage a regional high speed water

taxi to transport local commuters and tourists from Downtown to Packery Channel, Port Aransas, Ingleside, and Rockport

Encourage residential development:• Incentives for residential conversions and

new construction• Incentives for retail and entertainment

businesses• Enhance availability and convenience of

public transportation

Create a Special Planning and Maintenance District:

• Increase standards for the physical appearance and maintenance of buildings

• Implement “adaptive reuse” principles in rehabilitating vacant and underutilized buildings

Create standards for designating and enforcing buildings as blighted:

• Use as evidence in support of state and federal redevelopment grant applications

• Inspect and perform needed maintenance• Charge the owner for any work performed• Place a lien on property if owner fails to pay

Code enforcement:• Building Standards Board meetings held

monthly• Actions must be swift and certain

Recruit more retail and commercial businesses to Downtown:• Create Downtown Merchants Association• Continue targeting city incentives • Support new businesses during the first 12

months of operation through the creation of rent buy down programs

Support existing downtown businesses:• Encourage downtown public market• Develop full-scale WiFi community portal• Encourage Local financial institutions to

provide for loan pools and rent buy downs for downtown businesses

• Priority should be given to the recruitment of local merchants for the downtown area

• Contact owners of vacant lots and buildings to discuss opportunities for redevelopment of their properties

Brand downtown as a “Destination” by creating a visual identity and design standards for publicly funded items:

• Logos• Signage• Wayfinding• Downtown entry way• Pedestrian information kiosks

Develop strategic marketing plan focusing on:• Culture• Residential• New and existing businesses• Tourism• Entrepreneurs• Community• Use traditional & new media

Enhance and develop the downtown “experience” by establishing and supporting recurring public events and art experiences:

• Wednesday night sailboat festival• Murals• Decorated benches/bus stops• Permanent art installations• Outdoor markets and park events

• Create a Downtown Task Force (DTF), comprised of city staff from various departments, led by the Economic Development Department

• Add at least one staff member to the Economic Development Department to help coordinate the DTF and assist with implementation of this plan, including monitoring of progress

• DTF researches and submits recommendations to the City Manager and City Council on a financing plan for the implementation of this plan.

-Possible funding sources include:• use of annual budget resources• capital improvement bond program financing• utility revenue bonds• tax free housing finance bonds• federal and state grant funds• other public and private funding sources including RTA• a tax increment financing zone (TIF)

• DRC members will establish an advocacy group which will help move the downtown agenda forward

• Advocacy group will work proactively with other organizations and invite the membership and participation of all interested groups and individuals, including the City Council

In Conclusion, the DRC effort is only the beginning of a process that must involve a wide range of interests and stakeholders continuously in the future.

This report must be viewed as a living document, subject to re-thinking based on future opportunities and challenges.

The DRC believes these recommendations will be the foundation for a more vigorous renewal of downtown Corpus Christi.

• More economic activity, particularly housing and commercial

• Less under-utilized land

• Fewer vacant buildings

• An esthetically pleasing, cherished heart for the community

Downtown Redevelopment will result in:

Committee

Kay Aeby Gary Basinger Les CassidyPaula Dodd Simon Castillo Vangie ChapaJames Chrobocinski Evy Coppola Angelica

FloresArthur Granado Kevin Hopkins John HowellCecil Johnson Kimberly Lemley David LoebLeon Loeb Wayne Lundquist Chad MagillMonica M. Sawyer Brian Miller Mark

MinutaglioLeah Olivarri Michael Perez Michelle

PetersPhillip Ramirez Daiquiri Richard Eloy SalazarSheldon Schroeder Norma Urban Brandi

Williams