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Renew the
DMD to 2033

Arrow Icon Our Vision

Downtown CC Badge

To create the most vibrant downtown on

The Gulf of Mexico

Some people love downtown. At the Downtown Management District (DMD), we live it.
Operating since 1992, the DMD was founded with the unique purpose of revitalizing and
developing Downtown Corpus Christi.

Over 30 years later, our organization continues to champion key projects in the
downtown community through five mission elements:

District

District
Operations

economic icon

Economic
Development

Organizational Management

Organizational
Management

Promotions Icon

Promotions

Placemaking Icon

Placemaking

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From a Downtown with the most potential
to one with the most progress.

Hear directly from business owners, residents, and key stakeholders
on how downtown has evolved over the past 10 years.

Join us at State of Downtown on March 9th, 2023 to see the full documentary.

Video produced by Downtown Management District and directed by Knightstorm Productions.

To continue this valuable work over the next 10 years, we need the support of Corpus Christi property owners today. With your help, we can make Downtown Corpus Christi more inviting, more surprising, and, yes, even more vibrant.

Renew the DMD to continue downtown’s progress—
now and in the future.

Signed by Downtown Property Owners only.

Arrow Green Right PROJECTS & PROGRESS

Big Wins & Even
BIGGER PLANS

Downtown Corpus Christi has come a long way—but our work isn’t done. Here’s a quick overview of our big wins and what we’d like to achieve in the future.

2012-2022 Completed Projects

WHAt we’ve
Accomplished

  • Facilitated over $72 million of development with 26 key adaptive reuse projects since 2016 and many more in development
  • Transformed Chaparral Street with lights through Mayor Paulette Guajardo’s Iluminando presented by Corpus Christi Medical Center
  • Championed creation of parklets and sidewalk café policies in response to COVID-19
  • Implemented small business wayfinding signage to increase walkability
  • Championed two-way conversions on Chaparral Street and streets adjacent to Shoreline Boulevard
  • Advocated for rehabilitation of seawall which resulted in $1 million refurbishment in 2021
  • Led key improvements to Artesian and La Retama Parks, including lighting, concrete replacement, landscaping, and irrigation repairs.

 

2023-2033 Service Goals

WHAT WE’RE
DOING NEXT

  • Institute a clean, safe, and beautiful environment
  • Create a welcoming, well-designed waterfront
  • Develop a robust, sustainable neighborhood
  • Promote remarkable, prismatic, and cultural experiences
  • Grow our team and capacity to accomplish the vision
  • Advocate for, support, and facilitate implementation of catalytic infrastructure improvements, especially on the waterfront:
    • Water Street Reimagined
    • Marina Master Plan & Development
    • Shoreline Pedestrian Connection improvements
    • Agnes & Laredo Gateway improvements
    • Upper & Lower Broadway Bluff rehabilitation

Want to learn more?

Keep scrolling to see key downtown projects we’ve championed from 2012-2022,
and what we’re planning to achieve in 2023-2033 with your support.

Arrow Icon   DISTRICT OPERATIONS

Instituting a clean, safe, and beautiful
ENVIRONMENT

 

2012-2022 Completed Projects

WHAt we’ve
Accomplished

  • Created “The Downtown Clean Team” resulting in increased perceptions of cleanliness from 45% to 60% and increased perceptions of safety from 42% to 56%, between 2015-2021 according to our biannual perception survey
  • Acquired new cleaning and maintenance equipment including an ATLV Street Sweeper, 2 Kawasaki Mule, 2 Billy Goats, 2 Ford F150 trucks, a 100-gallon water skid, and a 50-gallon industrial power washer
  • Removed 16,989 biohazards, collected 244,597 bags of debris, and abated 5,043 graffiti tags
  • Installed 109 new planters while planting and nurturing over 34,341 plants

 

2023-2033 Service Goals

WHAT WE’RE
DOING NEXT

  • Improve cleanliness and perceptions of cleanliness by 5% annually by providing Clean Team Services and actively seeking feedback from stakeholders
  • Elevate standard of care for landscaping and right of way fixtures to create a beautiful, well-manicured appearance
  • Create a consistent sense of security for all downtown users at all times with patrols, partnerships, and new technologies
  • Collaborate with City staff and community to mitigate adverse environmental and safety perception impacts of homelessness
  • Continuously install, maintain, and enhance lighting throughout downtown to increase safety at night

Bio Hazard Icon

Removed 16,989
biohazards

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Collected 244,597
bags of debris

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Abated 5,043
graffiti tags

Flowers Icon

Planted and nurtured over 34,241
plants

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Safety vest icon

Hired 8
Clean Team Members

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Spent 286,359
hours deep cleaning block faces

planting icon

Installed and maintained 109
new planters

An even better
downtown is possible.

Placemaking

Creating a welcoming, well-designed, and accessible
WATERFRONT

2012-2022 Completed Projects

WHAt we’ve
Accomplished

  • Completed park upgrades to Historic La Retama and Artesian Parks, including the addition of lighting, landscaping, and concrete replacement
  • Championed two-way conversions on Chaparral Street and streets adjacent to Shoreline Boulevard making downtown more welcoming and connected
  • Championed development of the sidewalk café and parklet policy, activating sidewalks and creating more vibrancy
  • Launched a seasonal small-business wayfinding program directing pedestrians to over 30 of our downtown businesses
  • Conceived the Water Street Reimagined project and lead the vision development process; the project was proposed to the City, and ~$8 million in capital improvement funding was allocated to this project in 2022

2023-2033 Proposed Services & Strategies

WHAT WE’RE
DOING NEXT

  • Advocate for, support, and facilitate implementation of catalytic infrastructure improvements, including:
        – Water Street Reimagined
        – Marina Master Plan & Development
        – Shoreline Pedestrian Connection
        – Agnes & Laredo Gateway improvements
        – Upper & Lower Broadway Bluff
  • Create beautiful streetscapes and interactive public spaces through grants and strategic urban design
  • Ensure all downtown users have a connected, convenient, and safe route to and through downtown
  • Enhance the parking system so that public and private parking is available for diverse users when needed by continuing to implement parking action plan
  • Implement family and tourist-oriented placemaking initiatives that make parks and public places inviting for all ages through design and key community partnerships

Murals, Park Beautification,
and Improvement Projects:

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Commissioned
32 murals

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Adopted and
maintained 2 parks

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Facilitated $15 mil
worth of two-way traffic
street conversions

Potential Impacts of
Water Street Reimagined Project:

The full scope of Water Street Reimagined may cost around $20
million, require multiple funding cycles and take almost a decade
to complete. Upon completion benefits would include:

26%
decreased crosswalk distance,
improving pedestrian safety

14%
potential decrease in
surface temperature 

67%
potential shade cover –
currently, only 3% of the
right-of-way has shade

20%
potential increase in
property value in 5 years

Let’s keep building up
our waterfront.

Economic Development

Developing a robust, sustainable, and desirable
NEIGHBORHOOD

2012-2022 Completed Projects

WHAt we’ve
Accomplished

  • Created development incentives in partnership with Downtown Reinvestment Zone
  • Facilitated over $72 million of development with 26 key adaptive reuse projects since 2016 and an additional $60.7 million in development completed projects include:
         – The Chamberlain
         – Greyhound Station to BUS
         – Goldfish Bar
         – Lucy’s Snackbar
         – Nueces Brewing and Barbequing
         –
    Hybrid Records
         –
    K Space Contemporary Expansion
         –
    Frost Bank
  • Facilitated the purchase of a downtown building by Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, establishing the pathway for a downtown campus
  • Partnered with the City to update the Downtown Vacant Building Ordinance to increase the standard of care for vacant buildings

 

2023-2033 Proposed Services & Strategies

WHAT WE’RE
DOING NEXT

  • Increase the supply, density, and variety of residential options by targeting number of new units that are complete, under construction, and committed each year
  • Develop a robust food ecosystem with diverse offerings, including a food incubator
  • Develop an attractive and authentic retail mix that appeals to both residential and tourist audiences
  • Leverage adaptive reuse and proactive marketing strategies (Downtowntx.org) to activate vacant properties and return off market land parcels to the market for development
  • Increase economic strength of South Texas by combining our competitive assets of affordable, existing, waterfront real estate with knowledge and technology economy (Lonestar UAS Center of Excellence and Innovation, Port of Corpus Christi), and entrepreneurship

Supported 635 new residential
units in downtown;
197 more under development

Open Sign

Filled 20,000 sq. ft. of
vacant Downtown spaces

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Facilitated over $72 million of
investments with over 26
TIRZ #3 Projects;

Currently championing the 
construction of 10
TIRZ #3 Projects
Including The Annex,
Retro, Carabanaca,
and Buc Commission

Trail Location Icon

Tracked 25.4 million
visits since 2017

 

54% of millennials desire to
live downtown in 2021 –
up from 15% in 2015

 

We’ve got big plans in store.

Arrow Blue Right Icon Promotions

Promoting Remarkable and Prismatic
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES

2012-2022 Completed Projects

What we’ve
Accomplished

  • Established social media presence and grew followings of 25,300 on Instagram, 35,000 on Facebook, and 1,000 on LinkedIn
  • Hosted ArtWalk pop-ups, block parties, and a virtual experience which provided vendor sales opportunities during COVID
  • Founded Mural Fest and Downtown Holiday Series (which includes Peppermint Lane, H-E-B Christmas Tree, Mayor’s Merriest Decor Contest, The Port’s Holiday Tree, and the Illuminated Boat Parade)
  • Created the Downtown Business Association in 2015 increasing to 39 participating businesses in 2022
  • Created and deployed a weekly email newsletter: The Downtowner with 6,200 subscribers

2023-2033 Proposed Services & Strategies

WHAT WE’RE
DOING NEXT

  • Strengthen traditional and social media and direct communication channels to inform the public on downtown’s unique offerings
  • Elevate downtown’s market position by defining the brand through engaging marketing initiatives
  • Increase engagement and positive impact for micro-communities including Downtown Business Association and Downtown Neighborhood Association
  • Enhance signature experiences including ArtWalk, the Downtown Holiday Series, Mural Festival, and others that showcase our unique culture and assets
  • Foster opportunities for the creative class to shine through public art, live music, and grant funding

The DMD Promotions team develops micro-communities
that drive traffic to downtown businesses and engage
locals in the downtown community.

Mural Fest Logo
taste of downtown logo
Illuminated-08
Holiday Free
Pep Lane Logo-02
Halloweek-10
Halloweek-11
DBA Logo 8-16 version[65]

There’s always
something to do.

Arrow Icon Organizational Management

Growing Our Team and Capacity to
ACCOMPLISH THE VISION

2012-2022 Completed Projects

What we’ve
Accomplished

  • Supported the creation (2014) and adoption (2018) of the city’s Downtown Area Development Plan
  • Developed and implemented Three Strategic Plans (2014-2017, 2017-2021, 2022-2026) which prioritized realistic steps and built a pathway to accomplish more challenging revitalization goals. 
  • Established strategic mission elements: district operations, placemaking, economic development, promotions, and organizational management
  • Earned National Main Street accreditation and Texas Cultural District designation
  • Founded the Downtown Advisory Council, created a 501(c)3 expanded Interlocal Service Agreements, and initiated to diversify resources and leverage Property Owner contributions

2023-2033 Proposed Services & Strategies

WHAT WE’RE
DOING NEXT

  • Effectively administer complex governance structure (including municipal management district, 501(c)3, Cultural District, Reinvestment Zone) while optimizing entities and programs
  • Collaborate with partners to diversify funding and foster “teamwork” mentality towards revitalization through inter-local agreements and sponsorships
  • Recruit, retain and develop motivated, dedicated staff to implement vision and expand organizational capacity
  • Provide software, technology, and facilities to create professional best-in-class working environment
  • Serve as one-stop resource for information pertaining to current and prospective businesses, property owners, developers, and other stakeholders

Organization Icon

Reinvented DMD Organization structure, from committees of volunteers and 2 staff to 9+ professionals to advance our revitalization efforts and better serve the needs of downtown

Revenue Ico

Grew revenue from $364,000 in 2014 to $1,900,000 in 2022

Let’s keep growing
downtown, together

Proposed Levy
Change

When Corpus Christi’s Downtown thrives, our entire city thrives. With new levies, we can ensure a bustling downtown and create a rising tide that lifts all boats.

Originally set to encourage development of vacant land, the DMD Levy has not changed since 2003. This proposed levy reduces the burden on operating businesses from $0.07 to $0.05 and increases vacant land from $0.30 to $0.40.

Help us lower the cost to
do business and promote
downtown development!

  • DMD Levy
  • City of Corpus Christi
  • Downtown Reinvestment Zone
  • Advisory Council Revenue
  • Sponsorship Membership Revenue

Property Owners from the Marina Arts District and the proposed expansion district are invited to sign the petition to extend the DMD’s services.

Our team at the CCDMD has had the absolute pleasure of serving the downtown districts and its key stakeholders for over 30 years. Today, exciting things are in the air. Downtown Corpus Christi is quickly evolving into a premier waterfront destination, and we are determined to continue producing and promoting the area as the economic powerhouse and national hotspot we know it is.

As a fourth-generation Corpus Christi native, it gives me great pride to see our downtown family and community blossom before our eyes. We hope that you will support our organization’s mission—and help drive the vision of downtown for years to come.

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Alyssas Signature

ALYSSA B MASON, CEcD, EDFP

Executive Director

Corpus Christi Downtown Management District