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Plans underway to attract developers and residents downtown

The downtown area currently has 1,200 residents. The Downtown Management District is hoping to attract 3,000 total residents.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — City Council will be discussing Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #3 by making adjustments to the Downtown Living Initiative among other programs. 

As of now the downtown area has 1,200 residents. Executive Director of the Downtown Management District, Alyssa Barrera Mason spoke with 3NEWS and said, "To really have the type of activity and vibrancy you need in a vibrant urban district, you need 3,000 people living downtown."

In order to boost revitalization momentum, her team is finding ways to more than double the number of residents currently living downtown. 

"Based on the rising cost of construction, inflation and a study that we had done about residential demand, and the gap for developing residential downtown, we're recommending an increase from $10,000 per unit to $30,000 per unit from our downtown incentive fund," she said.

The money invested in these programs is an incentive for developers and meant to not only attract more people to live downtown, but also accommodate new business owners with costs associated with starting a new business.

"We're able to use these funds to create a space where people in Corpus Christi can come and kind of express themselves and share what their art or craft, or gift is with the community," Barrera Mason said.

Over the past few years, the community may have seen improvements made to Artesian and La Retama Park. Barrera Mason said that's all by design. "Now we hope to expand into Norma Urban Park that's down in the Marina, as well as Spohn Park."

In some communities, roof replacements and repairs were necessary as a part of the streetscape grant.

"We're taking that proactive step to add roofs as a qualifying category on our exterior improvement grant program as well," Barrera Mason said. These programs are an attempt to attract more people to move downtown.

"The amount being invested, depends on the private sector investment," she said.  "And then we're able to provide a little bit of support with our dedicated tax dollars that were collected in the downtown area. So, it's a very focused reinvestment program."

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