On Aug. 9, Smith County commissioners voted to put abond referendumon the November ballot that would fund a new courthouse and parking garage.

A number of downtown Tyler business owners agree a new courthouse could be key to boosting the city and county.

On Aug. 9, Smith County commissioners voted to put a bond referendum on the November ballot that would fund a new courthouse and parking garage.

The proposal totals $179 million — $160 million for the courthouse and $19 million for the parking garage. The estimated tax impact is about 3.67 cents, which would be an increase of about $73.40 per year on a $200,000 home, according to the county.

Reid Martin, of Martin Walker law firm in downtown Tyler, said he and his partner, Jack Walker, are in full support of a new courthouse.

“It’s long been needed, and it’s going to return Smith County to the place where I think it should be in East Texas — being the most important county in East Texas for business and legal proceedings and medical care,” Martin said.

In terms of space, a new courthouse has been needed for years, he said, adding that the crowding issues in the current courthouse is not good for jurors, the public, attorneys or anyone involved.

A new courthouse not only would allow space for all county courts to be in one place but also provide a safety aspect the current building lacks, he said.

“We’re completely in support of the bond election that’s coming up in November and hope that people are voting for this because it’s going to be a good thing for Tyler and a good thing for Smith County,” Martin said.

A new courthouse would have an appearance similar to the historical 1910 structure.

“Texas is so famous for its county courthouses, and it’s just, we have like the ugliest one in the entire state,” said Lance McWhorter, owner of Culture ETX on West Erwin Street.

A building that looks nicer would draw more people to downtown, McWhorter said.

“I don’t think there’s a lot of people that just drive around and look at courthouses anymore — I’m sure there’s some — but the thing is building that vibrant economy around that downtown area,” he said. “So it’s like we’re going to invest tens of millions of dollars in this (courthouse), we have to think about what’s gonna support the community around it.”

For downtown to thrive, it needs more restaurants, bars, boutiques and other attractions, McWhorter said. A new courthouse would help, but it wouldn’t be a destination in and of itself, he said.

“This is something that I think is going to benefit downtown,” Martin said. “My partner and I are big proponents of the revitalization of downtown and bringing business here, bringing people that live here and work downtown and eat downtown and all that’s downtown. We are in full support of that, so I think this courthouse will help that effort.”

If approved by voters, the courthouse will be built on North Spring Avenue on the east side of the downtown square. That would mean several downtown buildings would be removed, including the Arcadia Theater building, which is home to the Martin Walker law firm.

Martin said he would be sad to lose the Arcadia Theater if a new courthouse is built, but his firm intends to keep as much of its history alive as possible.

While he isn’t sure where the office would move, he said the firm hopes to go somewhere it can take along as much of the Arcadia as possible, such as the neon sign and more theater memorabilia.

“We’re very sad to lose this space, but, you know, we’re not losing our law practice, and we will find a place to go,” he said. “While we’re losing the Arcadia itself, as the stewards of that building, (Walker) and I are going to try to reinvent it and relocate it to the best of our abilities and incorporate it into our new office.”

McWhorter said it would be sad to see the downtown buildings demolished to make way for a new courthouse, but he’s hopeful investments will be made to bring in more development. He added that local officials have done a good job investing in the downtown area and need to continue doing so to keep its look and feel.

“I understand that people might be sad about losing these old buildings that line Spring Street, but we got to keep in mind that we still have three sides of the square that are not being affected by this,” Martin said. “This is part of progress, and Smith County needs to make this progress.”

As a small business, McWhorter said one of his main concerns with a potential new courthouse is the traffic during construction.

Broadway Avenue needs to be able to stay open because if it is cut off, “it’ll kill the entire downtown,” he said.

Some events now held downtown that close off Broadway for a day, such as music festivals, cost him and other businesses in the area thousands of dollars because access is more difficult, McWhorter said.

“Being a small business and being kind of isolated from the rest of Tyler, we rely on people being able to travel downtown,” he said.