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EDC hears detailed downtown revitalization plan but tables formal approval
Summary
City economic development officials heard a 90‑page commercial development plan for Nebraska Avenue and the downtown 'Genesis' area, praised for being shovel‑ready and for identifying catalyst sites and parking strategies. The board tabled final approval and moved more discussion into executive session.
San Juan — The Sawhorn Economic Development Corporation heard a presentation of a 90‑page downtown commercial development plan focused on Nebraska Avenue and the area around City Hall, but tabled formal approval after asking staff to continue work in executive session.
Brian Godinez of ERO Architects summarized the plan, which the firm described as a coordinated update of the city’s land‑use, transportation and infrastructure documents tied to the Nebraska Avenue 'Genesis' project and an adjacent TxDOT‑owned corridor. Godinez called the document "a 90 page document" that is "ready to be sent for funding or to attract investors or to attract developers or to attract retail," and said the plan lays out immediate, mid‑ and long‑term actions to spur downtown investment.
The presentation identified four catalyst sites for mixed‑use development, proposed pedestrian and streetscape improvements, and recommended policy and program tools — including façade grants, parking strategies and developer engagement — to attract retail, hospitality and multifamily housing. Godinez told the board the team counted 559 designated downtown parking spaces and emphasized that parking capacity and traffic management would be central as redevelopment proceeds.
Godinez also described coordination with TxDOT on the segment of Nebraska from the interstate to Business 83 and said the team produced shovel‑ready construction documents intended to support grant applications and other external funding. He described a target construction package "around $5,000,000" for portions of the project and noted that some cost figures presented were based on estimates about a year old.
Public engagement for the plan included a citizen survey with more than 150 responses and four public meetings at the Memorial Library; Godinez said that input shaped the plan’s priorities on placemaking, mobility and business support. He urged the board to publicize adoption as a means of attracting funders and developers.
After the presentation the board agreed to table the item and moved discussion into executive session; when the meeting reconvened, no final adoption or ordinance was recorded. The board indicated next steps would include further funding discussions and implementation planning.
