City council creates a new master plan
Story Created: Jan 7, 2010 / Pro 8 News.com
Laredo’s city council has selected a firm from San Antonio who will create a downtown master plan to help revitalize the city. But downtown merchants say it may be too little too late for this plan as they are losing money and customers. Our Noraida Negron has more in our top story at six.
Kell Munoz architects out of San Antonio were chosen by council to create the master plan. A plan to help save the downtown area bringing new stores and entertainment.
What we are looking for is for them to tie in all of the different plans that we have right now like the River Vega Plan, the San Bernardo rehabilitations and we have also arts and entertainment district. Council members say the plan will be used to show investors they already have a future plan for downtown. Council says Kell Munoz architects will do just that. They are going to meet with our community members, stake holders downtown and find out what we want and kind of convert it into something beautiful downtown merchants say the master plan is a good idea, but it maybe too late. They want to know what the city is doing to bring them costumers if you don’t have costumers spending money in stores what good is having the issue of the aesthetics of downtown addressed. That’s now what’s important. According to downtown merchant Les Norton they are already losing costumers to other border cities like Mcallen. He says many downtown stores have closed and business is not what it used to be. We’ve seen a tremendous increase in the city of Mcallen. They are totally eating our lunch and if council can’t accept that Mcallen is so far ahead of us. But council says they don’t like to compare themselves with other border cities. They want to move forward and try to come up with a solution. What I think we’ve wanted for years is just to revitalize it to see more life downtown. The solution will be the establishment of the city of Laredo as a destination point for tourists. Noraida Negron Pro 8 News.
City Council woman Cindy Liendo says it will take at least a year to come up with the master plan. They will be meeting with the firm in the upcoming days. The revitalizing of downtown won’t be seen for at least the next two years.
Jan 7, 2010
City Council creates a new master plan.
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