News

Actions

Downtown Revitalization: Council members discuss plan for vacant buildings

Posted at 7:34 AM, Jul 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-03 23:27:23-04

Downtown revitalization has been an important issue for the city for some time, and one important part of that plan is eliminating vacant buildings. Currently, about 15 percent of buildings in the Reinvestment Zone have been vacant for an extended period of time, according to the city. These vacant buildings can contribute to criminal activity and are an unwelcome sight for visitors. City Council will meet for its regularly scheduled meeting today and council members will discuss the Downtown Vacant Building Ordinance. The ordinance will require registration of vacant buildings, which will then become eligible for tax increment reinvestment zone, or TIRZ #3, incentives.If approved, the ordinance gives owners 45 days to register vacant properties.  Once registered, those properties will be added to an online database that will help match the properties with potential buyers.The Downtown Management District recently unveiled a 20-point plan for their vision of downtown Corpus Christi in 2020 which includes attracting small, locally owned businesses, making downtown more accessible and providing more residential housing in the area. The meeting is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall.