07-08-13 Meeting of the La Porte Development Corporation Board of Directors

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• Future Direction — Main Street. Like the Sylvan Beach area, Main Street and the downtown area, have a great ability to change the fabric of the community and are an important part of the City's economic development efforts. As part of the City's investment, they worked in partnership with the La Porte Economic Development Corporation and recently completed the Gateway Project, the Five Points Town Plaza, and other infrastructure improvements. As a result of this investment, Main Street is on the cusp of attracting new businesses. To stitch these improvements together in a well -coordinated manner and to compliment them with an overall economic and redevelopment strategy; a downtown master plan is warranted. This plan would expand upon the general guidance of this plan to spell out the specific improvements, funding needs and sources, and organization to accomplish its own vision (see inset). • Future Direction — Sylvan Beach/Bayfront Areas. The 2001 Comprehensive Plan referred to the bayfront area as the City's "forgotten area." Recently, the City partnered with Harris County, the Texas General Land Office, and the Army Corps of Engineers to renourish and expand Sylvan Beach Park. The citizens loved the reinvestment and the youth indicated that it was one of top places they could hang out in within the City. However, it was clearly articulated during the public participation efforts, that the community feels that the Sylvan Beach area has yet to reach its potential as a top regional tourism destination. A limitation often cited was a lack of "other" things to do near Sylvan Beach; no places to eat or shop. Further, both physical and cultural connections to the greater community could be made. Some view these factors as limiting La Porte from recapturing that "city by the sea" image. As part of this planning effort, important decisions must be made as to the future of this area, e.g., coordinating with the county to determine future of the Sylvan Beach Pavilion damaged by Hurricane Ike, and determining if and when the City is ready to commit to its principal attraction. As seen in the inset, these are not new issues — they just need to be further addressed in this plan (see inset next page). CO MJAUNITY VCSFON FOR. LA Fns RTE TEXAS 2i)12 1-11,T)ATE