CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Downtown Corpus Christi continues to come alive following years of inactivity and empty store fronts. And now, another project will help encourage growth.
The old, unused Caller Times parking lot is a large block considered to be a key part of downtown activity. It's also, unfortunately, considered an eyesore by many in the community.
The new property owners -- developers ZJZ Hospitality -- have agreed to a makeover that will attract more people downtown for big events.
Manager for Mesquite Street Pizza Downtown, James De La Garza, thinks a rejuvenated Caller Times parking lot open to the public will be a big positive change.
"Especially all the restaurants and things like that; more parking means more business, more traffic for downtown," De La Garza said. "Parking down here on the street, it's like, 'Is it okay to park down here,' 'Is it okay to park here,' 'We can't find parking.' Things like that. And especially during Art Walk like with the roads blocked and things like that."
In a nighttime aerial shot of the block containing the building and the parking lot, the area comes across as a dead space.
"So at night the area really is kind of a black hole of nonactivity surrounded by a really lively street life, so we're really excited to just make it active, make it available and have it support all of our businesses," Corpus Christi Downtown Management District Executive Director Alyssa Barrera-Mason said.
The estimated cost of fixing the parking lot is just under $93,000.
This week, the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #3 or TIRZ #3 Board approved reimbursing ZJZ Hospitality more than $46,000 through the use of the Streetscape and Safety Program.
The official completion date for refurbishing the parking lot is set for next summer, but the company hopes to have it done by the end of this year.
ZJZ Hospitality is still deciding how to utilize the old newspaper building, but realized the property needs to be upgraded now.
"I've been here for the majority of my life in this area," Nick Bahkta with ZJZ hospitality said. "I visit downtown quite a bit, my wife and I, and drive by here all the time and realized that, 'Wow, it is really dark.' So one thing we are is adding lighting here, hopefully that will brighten it up a little bit, make it safer to walk around and make people more comfortable to visit all our great venues downtown."