Downtown Developments are on the Horizon

News of revitalizations, new restaurants, and the continued development of Downtown Beaumont is creating a huge buzz in the area. Most recently, news of potential plans for an apartment complex in the heart of Downtown adds a new level of anticipation for what’s to come.

This past summer, Wheeler Commercial listed a prime slice of land on Neches Street in Downtown Beaumont, adjacent to New York Pizza and Pasta and the Cathedral Square townhouses and condominiums. The possibilities of what could exist in this unscathed corner lot are endless. It was no surprise to see it scooped off the market in record time, but as for its future, only time would tell. 

A few weeks ago, the Beaumont Enterprise reported the Beaumont City Council’s approval of a specific use permit for this property allowing for the construction of a multifamily development at 704 Neches St.; a huge piece of news for the future of Downtown. The City Council's decision came about a month after the Planning Commission made a 7-0 recommendation that the council approve the specific use permit for the development. "With economic development, one of the steps is to have more people down here to go to the restaurants and use what is here," Mayor Roy West noted.

Images via Beaumont Enterprise

The Beaumont Enterprise also shared plans obtained from the permit application that proposes the building will include four 740-square-foot, one-bedroom apartments; eight 962-square-foot, two-bedroom apartments; and four 1,237-square-foot, three-bedroom apartments. Mayor Roy West also said, "Having residents downtown is an important component of our downtown development, so we're excited at this prospect." 

For years, people have expressed that the real hindrance to downtown's success is the lack of people consistently there. The opportunity to get more people living and working downtown is a key to major change.  "Residential uses in the downtown planning area may bolster economic activity by increasing pedestrian traffic," City Manager, Chris Boone recently said. Seeing a proposed residential development downtown is a huge step toward combating the long-standing of getting more people downtown. Having more residents could open the door for a variety of additional business opportunities, especially in combination with the various developments already underway.

Image via beaumonttexas.gov

With the repair of Riverfront Park officially in the construction phase and a widespread desire to continue the redevelopment of Downtown Beaumont, the City has been working to develop a full plan to create a vision of what Downtown Beaumont can become. In late 2022, they formed a Downtown Planning & Development Advisory Committee to guide this process better and work toward the goal of realizing a final vision for Downtown Beaumont by the close of 2023.  In September, the committee even shared draft plans for “Vision 2035: Downtown Beaumont” that could bring major infrastructure changes and huge improvements to downtown’s overall vitality. The City’s website offers a Downtown Dashboard featuring the status of a variety of major projects in the works.

Progress is happening in Downtown Beaumont. Residential prospects, restaurant openings, and renderings of future plans are proof that major change is on the horizon.

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