- More local business owners join in on a Kingsville trend: giving old buildings new life.
- The city's Economic Development Grant is meant to help get restoring projects going.
- Benefits to re-purposing historic buildings include giving locals somewhere close by to shop and generating revenue. A sales tax revenue is generated by businesses and that tax goes back into the community for things like roads, police and animal care services.
"The trend goes way back. It goes back to our city hall. It was a school building," Mayor of Kingsville Sam Fugate said.
Kingsville, known for its rich history is throwing some new ideas into the mix. Especially when it comes to Kingsville's historic buildings. Case in point, the Salazar Building. David Thibodeaux restored it nine years ago.
"There was a niche in the community for a venue that wasn't that large. The part that draws me to restoring the buildings is the creativity part and making the community better. It's not just about restoring the building," Thibodeaux said. "You have to figure out what's going to go in it and what's going to succeed."
He continues to flip other old buildings to feed the community's desire for more venues. Like the Kate building, which he was able to repurpose with the help of a grant.
"We have money available. What we have now is an economic development grant that we provide to people who want to renovate the buildings," Fugate said.
Mayor Fugate said the grant does not pay for the entire project, but it can get a project going.
"You have to spend the money and have skin in the game. A certain percentage of your project has to come out of your pocket. We only give a certain percentage of money but its most helpful," Fugate said.
The real winners are Kingsville residents who will have more shopping destinations at home.
"We knew we needed spaces for retail, especially on Kleberg, so we just kind of created that and the business came to us," Thibodeaux said.
There is also another benefit.
"Tourism, bringing more people into town but for me, I think the number one thing is revenue," Thibodeaux said.
There's sales tax revenue generated by those businesses. That tax ultimately goes back into the community.
"If we budget for it… fire and police, animal services, streets, public works," Fugate said.
The City of Kingsville still has over $200,000 set aside for building renovations.
The city prefers those buildings to be in the downtown area. If you have a location that you think qualifies, contact the city with your ideas.
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