An Invitation to Come on Down(town)!
Published Aug 07, 2009
The historic Settles Hotel in Big Spring has undergone a major renovation.
Reinvention is the order of the day for cities and towns throughout the region, and success is being found in any number of ways.
Downtown revitalization is taking many forms throughout The High Ground, from full-on marketing campaigns to the overhaul of historic buildings seen as anchors for future efforts. But the goal is the same: Bring back the urban core and let that success drive tourism, business relocation and expansion, and more.
“LIVEMidlandTexas.com is an interactive Web site and a one-stop source for just about everything the city has to offer, with a showcase of downtown,” says Natalie Shelton, real estate and marketing coordinator for the Midland Development Corp., which was created in 2002 to help grow the city’s economic and business base. The city has seen everything from new construction to streetscape and faćade facelifts in recent years, and it’s all working.
“Ever since [the site] was launched, we have heard so much more commotion regarding our downtown area,” Shelton says. “If you do not live in west Texas, you would never guess that a city with a population of a little over 100,000 would have such a vibrant and bustling downtown. The site has encouraged more entertainment to move downtown, bringing more people downtown to eat, drink and relax in our green spaces. With the Yucca Theater as our entertainment anchor, we cannot keep Midlanders or our out-of-town guests out. We could not be more proud of our accomplishments downtown.”
In Big Springs several projects are under way, with the Settles Hotel being one of the most visible and also the catalyst for renovation and investment. The hotel opened in 1930, and had fallen upon hard times before its recent purchase and subsequent restoration, after which it will serve as both hotel and mixed-use space and offer up its ballroom and other meeting space for public and private events.
“That really got us going, and a couple of projects have happened directly because of it,” says Terry Wegman, executive director of the Big Spring Economic Development Corp. “A couple of small buildings downtown have been rehabbed, and we’re seeing some private construction down here as well.”
The city has created a historic district to overlay the downtown area, which will provide further incentives for owners to redevelop their properties, or at the very least return the facades to their original appearance.
“The city also passed a bond issue last year to redo all the streets, with new sidewalks, signage and landscaping, even a median with trees down Main Street,” Wegman says. “We’re trying to grease the wheels, make it as easy as possible for individuals who want to do projects and developments down here. We help in all the areas that we can.”
Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Brian McCord
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