Tyler

By CINDY MALLETTE
Staff Writer

The city of Tyler plans to buy the former King Chevrolet and White’s Ford dealerships and redevelop the land, improving the face of downtown Tyler.

City Council members announced the plans after their regular meeting Wednesday. They also announced their intention to lease office space near the T.B. Butler Fountain Plaza and create a downtown arts and visitors center.

The council approved the purchase of roughly 4.7 acres of land, where the old car dealerships sit empty along Erwin Street, just south of City Hall, for $1.67 million.

City officials say they may put city office spaces and public parking on the land, because of its close proximity to City Hall, but a final decision probably won’t come for several months.

“This action has been under consideration for many months, and the purchase of this property is a major step toward achievement of the Tyler 21 goal to create a destination downtown,” said Mayor Barbara Bass.

Councilman Donald Sanders, whose district encompasses the property, said the purchase eliminates blight created by the abandoned car dealerships. The properties have been vacant for several years since the dealerships closed, and during the Tyler 21 planning process, they were identified as possible locations for a western downtown square. Other potential uses include residential, retail, and arts and culture-oriented development through public/private partnerships.

“This property is pivotal to realizing the vision for a business, arts and culture district downtown,” said Councilman Chris Simons. “By purchasing the property, we are able to ensure it is repurposed in a way that benefits the community.”

The Council also approved a 10-year lease agreement with an option to buy the building at 110 W. Erwin St. The city plans to partner with Heart of Tyler/Main Street to create a downtown visitor and arts center.

“Being on the square is going to give a face to downtown development. It’s really going to open up opportunities for private investment and for the city,” said Mark Priestner, Heart of Tyler board president. “We really see this as being a monumental day for the future development of downtown.”

Under the plan, the Main Street program will become a city department, and Beverly Abell, current Heart of Tyler/Main Street director, will become the Main Street department director for the city. Heart of Tyler will retain its status as a private, 501c3 non-profit organization, and will continue its work focusing on downtown revitalization. A final agreement will go before the Council on Aug. 13 for approval.

“By transitioning the Main Street program into the city — but maintaining Heart of Tyler, Inc. — we maximize the potential for success,” Priestner said. “We see this as a strategic decision that is in the best interest of the community.”

To house the new department, the city has entered into a 10-year lease/purchase agreement on a 3,330-square-foot building. The city will pay $1,325 per month to lease the building, and Heart of Tyler promises to raise and contribute $40,000 annually to the city to support operations of the downtown office. The city will be responsible for remodeling the building into office space, a downtown visitor’s center and an arts center that features local artists. Renovations are expected to begin on Nov. 1 with anticipated completion date of March 1, in time for the Azalea and Spring Flower Trails, city officials said.

The city will continue to contract with the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to keep the main visitor’s center on North Broadway, in the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce offices. The new visitors’ center will focus primarily on the downtown area, while the main center will continue to provide information for the entire city and outlying region.

All of the projects — the land purchases and the office building lease and remodeling — are being paid for out of the city’s Oil and Gas Fund. Councilman Steve Smith explained that the city limited use of the fund to capital improvement projects only, and the fund currently has about $4 million available for that use.

“When we first set up this Oil and Gas Fund, we recognized that the citizens of Tyler had an asset in oil and gas reserves under the city,” Smith said. “We wanted to set aside those funds for something that would be very important, like a capital project that would give us something we could feel good about, that would enhance our city long-term.”

“This is a perfect use of those funds,” he said. “It’s exactly what we had in mind when we first set up that fund. I think it’s something our children and grandchildren will get a great benefit out of many, many years down the road.”

This announcement comes on the heels of the recent purchase of Liberty Theatre, which the city plans to turn over to the East Texas Symphony Orchestra for a smaller, more intimate concert setting. The ETSO will also use nearby office space as its headquarters.

Simons said the theatre and the new arts center will go far in creating the downtown business, arts and culture district set out in Tyler 21.

“The creation of the arts center is part of the foundation the city is building to make Tyler a hub for arts and culture in East Texas,” Simons said. “Paired with the purchase and renovation of the former Liberty Theatre, we are establishing the critical mass that will bring this dream to fruition.”

ANNOUNCEMENT: Tyler Mayor Barbara Bass announces the city’s plan to buy property during a press conference on Wednesday in Tyler.
((Staff Photos By Jaime R. Carrero))