The Nacogdoches City Council on Tuesday unanimously accepted a final downtown implementation strategy prepared by the Goodman Corporation and approved a resolution authorizing the city to apply for an Economic Development Administration (EDA) disaster supplemental grant to fund a proposed downtown parking garage.

Goodman principal Elizabeth Whitton told the council the study found a near-term parking shortfall of about 200 spaces and proposed a three-story garage that could ultimately provide roughly 328 spaces and about 11,000 square feet of ground-floor mixed-use space. Whitton said the project is at roughly 30 percent design and that a full three-story facility carries a broad contingency-driven cost estimate in the $20 million to $25 million range. "There is about 200 parking spaces needed in downtown to meet demand now and in the future," Whitton said during her presentation.

Mike New, the city's executive director of development and infrastructure, told the council staff plans to seek multiple funding sources for the garage and other downtown projects. Regarding the EDA opportunity, New said the city would request roughly $14.9 million (about 80 percent of the structure estimate) in the disaster supplemental application and that staff would plan for what the city actually receives. "Our goal is to request about $14,900,000 from the EDA in this application," New said, adding the submittal would go out before the end of the calendar year.

The consultant'prepared report is not limited to the parking structure. Goodman also recommended a 12-foot-wide Bonita Creek Promenade (estimated about $4 million), and a longer-term reimagining of Festival Park centered on an amphitheater (Whitton placed the amphitheater component at about $15 million and the total conceptual package at about $50 million, all subject to contingencies). The report identified four public-owned downtown buildings as candidates for adaptive reuse or public'private partnerships and noted historic tax credits and utility upgrade grants as possible funding tools.

Council members asked for continued public engagement and clarification about phasing. Whitton and staff said the report incorporated earlier public input (a city survey yielded about 700 responses) and that additional public meetings and technical phases would be required for federal or TxDOT-funded elements. Whitton urged phasing for quicker, independent progress on implementable pieces rather than seeking all funding at once.

After the presentation and questions, the council voted to accept the final report. Later, on a separate motion, the council unanimously approved Resolution 14-04-12-25 authorizing the city manager to submit an EDA fiscal 2025 disaster supplemental grant application for the downtown parking facility.

The council then recessed into executive session under Texas Government Code sections 551.072 and 551.074 to discuss real estate and related negotiation topics. After returning to open session the council approved, by vote, a letter of intent related to the Elliott Building parking garage as presented in closed session; the letter'text was not read into the public record.

Next steps outlined by staff include pursuing the identified grant opportunities, refining final design to accommodate phased construction and potential private partnerships, coordinating with the Army Corps of Engineers regarding creekside permitting and a letter of no impact, and continuing public engagement as grant phases advance.