CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi City Council is expected to approve a program that will provide Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) funding to businesses interested in constructing rooftop bars and restaurants downtown.
Freddy Rodriguez owns RETRO, one of the most well-known rooftop bars in the downtown business district. He is excited about the potential benefits from the Rooftop Activation Program, a proposal brought by TIRZ #3.
"I believe Corpus has a lot of potential to develop more rooftops in the area. And I think as a result of doing that it'll bring in more people," he said.
Under the new program, businesses will receive a 50 percent annual reimbursement for expenses related to rooftop development, up to half a million dollars. Although it might appear to be a substantial amount, Downtown Management District Executive Director Alyssa-Barrera-Mason said that certain downtown building projects can become costly due to the age of the buildings.
"It was created because the cost of accessing the rooftop in compliance with today's building codes and standards is sometimes a little bit more than feasible for a new business," she said. "So by creating this program we're helping support improvements to these buildings that make sure people are able to get safely up and down from these rooftops."
After the TIRZ expires, the expectation is that these investments will result in increased tax revenue. TIRZ #3 is administered by the council, along with representatives of the county and Del Mar College, who have the final say on approvals, which they granted back in September.
Barrera-Mason mentioned that they have already been approached by other businesses interested in establishing rooftop venues.
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