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Laredo BID board discusses vacant-building rules, lighting and parking; ratifies assessment date and appoints outlet manager
Summary
At its March 12 meeting, the Laredo Business Improvement District board discussed a proposed vacant-building ordinance and downtown streetscape needs, approved a resolution setting the BID assessment effective date to March 12, 2025, and appointed Dan Davia to the board through June.
The Laredo Business Improvement District (BID) board, meeting March 12, 2025, discussed changes to a proposed vacant-building ordinance, downtown lighting and parking improvements, sanitation and safety concerns, and voted to set the BID assessment effective date to March 12, 2025. The board also appointed Dan Davia, center manager for The Outlets, to fill a vacant seat through June.
The discussion focused on why the vacant-building ordinance generated pushback from property owners and how enforcement would be applied. "Before any fees or fines or any of that is imposed, I think we're gonna have a much more fulsome discussion with the public before we ever get to that sort of a stage," Larry Freeman, chair, said, summarizing comments the board has received from downtown property owners and developers. Freeman said he and others had met with city staff and elected officials and that the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) had recommended changes to the ordinance.
Why it matters: board members and downtown stakeholders said enforcement of a vacancy ordinance could unintentionally penalize owners who cannot lease space, and they urged the city to limit punitive measures while maintaining an accurate registry of downtown vacant properties. Board members also said downtown rents and market conditions make vacancy a complex problem: Freeman cited comparative rents discussed with developers — examples included retail rents as low as $5.50 per square foot at edge-of-town shopping centers versus downtown land values cited informally at about $26–$38 per square foot — to illustrate pressure on downtown tenants and landlords.
Board members discussed complementary downtown improvements intended to support revitalization and reduce disorder. Freeman said the board is nearly finished with a streetscape phase and expects fabrication of finishing elements to take four to six weeks. He said Laredo Electric (AEP) is evaluating metal poles roughly 47–50 feet tall, set in 7-foot foundations so that wiring would be about 30 feet above ground, and that the board expects a city grant to fund LED streetlights and solar trash compactors. "I think it's gonna be something 75, 70, 6 lights downtown, LED lights as well as, maybe 2 dozen trash solar trash compactors," Freeman said, noting final locations were under review and that placement must be coordinated with the fire department to avoid interfering with ladder truck operations.
Parking and circulation were raised repeatedly. The board said the city has implemented diagonal parking in one plaza and plans engineering studies (traffic engineers and KCI were named) to evaluate additional diagonal parking, with attention to AASHTO standards and street width constraints. Freeman said diagonal or angled parking could increase capacity in narrow downtown blocks and ease access to ground-floor businesses if implemented where the street geometry permits.
Sanitation, public safety and activation: board members and property owners described ongoing problems with public urination, litter, vandalism, animals (pigeons, stray cats, dogs), and occasional high-speed driving on downtown corridors such as Saint Augustine Plaza and the Florida-to-Grant corridor. The BID plan approved in late 2024 includes sidewalk and spot cleaning; Freeman said the BID will "reset the effective date for the assessment" and activate cleaning and spot services once collection begins. The board discussed the limits of immediate city services and encouraged property owners and businesses to call 311 to document recurring public-safety and traffic issues so the city can consider traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps.
Insurance and staffing: Freeman said the BID has obtained directors-and-officers insurance and that counsel has been consulted; once staff is hired to implement cleaning and security functions, the BID will move to general liability coverage for on-the-ground operations. Freeman said the organization that will collect the assessment will present to the board in April and that collection should begin within about 60 days after the board action.
Votes at a glance: the board took two formal actions during the meeting. It voted to appoint Dan Davia, center manager for The Outlets, to the BID board through the remainder of the vacated term (through June). It also voted to ratify the assessment but change the effective date so the assessment applies only to calendar year 2025, not 2024, by approving Resolution No. 225R-001 and setting the effective date as March 12, 2025; the organization engaged to collect the assessment will provide a presentation in April and begin collection within about 60 days.
Meeting context and next steps: Freeman and other board members said they expect additional public engagement before any fines or enforcement changes are implemented under the vacant-building ordinance. The board said streetscape fabrication continues and subsequent bid phases for streetscape improvements will be issued when ready. The board expects the assessment-collection vendor to present in April and for the BID to begin providing sidewalk cleaning and other activation services once funds are collected and staff are in place. The appointment of Dan Davia takes effect immediately and will require routine city reappointment for full terms when the city processes June reappointments.
