The vision for Downtown Kingsville and the challenges that come with it

Downtown is the heart and soul of the City of Kingsville, which is why the city’s Planning and Development Services held a public meeting last week to find out what the public wants to see downtown and hear the challenges that come with those visions.

Director of Planning and Development Services Erik Spitzer said about 60 people showed up at the Downtown Revitalization Meeting and many good ideas were thrown out.

“Some type of brewery and sports bar with some sort of indoor entertainment whether it’s some type of golf, corn hole or karaoke,” Spitzer said.

Spitzer said they are hoping to see more family-friendly businesses, coffee shops, and even a vibrant nightlife to target all age groups in the same common area.

Other ideas to beautify downtown that Spitzer said aren’t too expensive are adding murals and ghost signage. Ghost signage would show locals and visitors what a building was before it became re-purposed. This idea is to keep tradition and history in Kingsville alive while also staying up to date through modern and fresh business ideas.

But bringing in business comes with challenges, like extra costs for older buildings that aren’t up to code along with required insurance.

“Windstorm — everyone’s insurance is going up. Folks that have to rebuild roofs because they leak, have to replace windows and they have to meet these unique challenges because they are not inexpensive,” Spitzer said.

Spitzer added that they hope to work with other agencies to get grants to help alleviate some of those financial costs because some buildings require significant renovations.

Many have asked about the plans for the Texas Theater and where it stands. Spitzer said that project is currently halted.

Another concern that may arise in the future with more businesses is available parking. The birding and butterfly center headed to Kingsville is still in the works, but it could potentially attract many tourists and locals to the area, which might require extra parking spaces to be built.

Spitzer said a comment about public restrooms in the area and WiFi hotspots was also brought up.

The Planning and Development Department will meet with the Economic Development Center and the city to discuss key points from last Thursday’s meeting and review survey results regarding what residents would like to see more of.

There will be more opportunities for the public to attend meetings about the vision for downtown.

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