Laredo workshop reviews downtown streetscape designs, materials and utilities for TIRZ No. 1 improvements

City staff and consultants met May 1 at City Hall to review material selections, lighting and utility plans for several downtown public‑improvement segments under the Tax Incremental Investment Zone No. 1 (TIRZ 1), including Iturbide, San Agustin and Zaragoza streets.

The meeting, led by city staff and engineers from KCI, covered design details — widened sidewalks, tree wells, raised brick intersections, string lighting, bollards and irrigation/electrical pull boxes — intended to make three segments of the downtown streetscape visually consistent and easier to maintain. No board action or vote occurred at the workshop.

The discussion matters because the selected materials and utility routing affect construction cost, long‑term maintenance and how adjacent property owners and businesses will use downtown curb space. The projects are largely funded through local TIRZ resources and a separate grant process coordinated with TxDOT and other local partners; the consultants said about $1 million was captured through a recent NPO/TxDOT funding step to support some work.

Consultants described a three‑segment approach after an earlier nine‑block bid drew no bidders: Segment 1 (Zaragoza) is complete, Segment 2 will include work on Iturbide and adjacent blocks, and Segment 3 will cover San Agustin and nearby blocks. Edward Ochoa, an engineer with KCI, said the plans call for widening sidewalks on both sides of several blocks, adding tree wells and shifting parallel parking to the…