BEAUMONT, Texas — Members of the Beaumont downtown development committee are inviting the community to share their thoughts on how to promote growth in the heart of the city during an upcoming meeting.
The meeting takes place Thursday, January 12, 2023 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Downtown Event Centre.
City council members voted to form this committee October 2022.
Not a lot has changed since Beaumont Attorney Brent Coon began practicing law out of the Kyle Building in downtown 15 years ago.
"In the 1970's and the 1980's the shopping malls popped up and the big strip centers and so everybody moved out," Coon said. "It's a shame we have that 20 miles of waterfront running all the way through the Beaumont area and we don't have anything on it."
Bringing life back to empty store fronts and deserted city streets is exactly what Assistant City Manager Chris Boone is hoping the new downtown committee will change.
"It's going on 15 years so we really need an updated plan," Boone said.
The committee held their first meeting at the end of 2022 and they're kicking off 2023 by opening up the floor to residents, so that they can be apart of the change.
"The public will have the opportunity to give their input then that information and what we come up with from that steering committee where they can discuss and review," Boone said.
Boone says once a new plan is finalized for downtown, it will be submitted to the Beaumont planning committee and city council.
"I'm happy to share what I do know from my experiences here to anybody that will listen," Coon said.
While the city may have it's sights set on redeveloping Crockett Street, which was once a bustling hub of clubs and restaurants, Coon says it's not where the main focus should be.
"It didn't have much sustainability past that and most of those have a life cycle of several years and they get kind of worn out," Coon said.
Coon believes the committee's focus should be on families.
"We could build a whole marina complex there and the off the back loop you can put in all the other recreation amenities you see in all those other places," Coon said.
Depending on the feedback the committee receives, Coon says there could be a 2nd meeting.
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From a City of Beaumont release:
You’re Invited to the First Public Meeting of the Downtown Development Planning Committee
The first public meeting of the downtown development committee will be held on Thursday, January 12, 2023, from 6-8 pm at the Downtown Event Centre. Everyone is welcome and invited to share their ideas and thoughts on what they'd like to see downtown and provide their input on opportunities and challenges, which will be taken back to the steering committee for consideration.
"We have the unique opportunity to reimagine the heart of Beaumont and want it to be a citywide effort with everyone's input and buy-in. The more feedback we get, the better," said Assistant City Manager of Development Services Chris Boone. "We want downtown to be a thriving place where all citizens, visitors, and students can eat, live, work and play."
The meeting will be led by the City's contracted consulting firm, SWA.