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Corpus Christi State of Downtown Address celebrates gains, outlines future

Posted at 10:42 PM, Feb 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-07 23:42:35-05

“We’re just getting started helping Downtown reach its potential,” is how Corpus Christi Downtown Management District Executive Director Alyssa Barrera ended her inaugural State of Downtown Address to a roar of applause.

Dozens of city leaders, business owners, and others gathered for that speech Thursday night at The Exchange bar and restaurant. Barrera spoke for ten minutes about her agency’s efforts to grow Downtown Corpus Christi’s popularity.

“We spent a lot of time and energy keeping things moving this year,” Barrera said.

In her speech, Barrera mentioned a slew of developments for downtown over the past year that the DMD helped make happen. They include changing Chaparral Street from a one-way to a two-way road, which she says helps people access Downtown businesses. She also talked about the DMD’s Clean Team, a group of workers who patrol the downtown-area in the morning collecting litter and doing other things to enhance the city’s appearance.

DMD Communication and Events Manager Jordan Michael talked about the importance of the State of Downtown Address.

“Downtown’s for everybody,” Michael said. “So it’s important that everyone knows what’s going on, what successes we had in the last year, how we followed through on the plans that we made, and what we have planned for the future as well.”

Both Michael and Barrera are encouraged by this year’s Perception Survey. Every two years the DMD arranges for hundreds of people in Corpus Christi to receive a phone call asking them if they visit Downtown. In 2017, 73% of people surveyed said they do. This year, it was up to 90%.

“things are on a roll, so, keep an eye out,” Barrera said.