[1. CALL TO ORDER]
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AND GET THIS MEETING STARTED WITH A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. AND THIS IS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH. AND WITH THAT. YOU WILL SEE PUBLIC COMMENTS. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
MAYOR REED ANNOUNCED THE TIME OH FIVE. SO FOCUSED ON THE TIME, I FORGOT TO SAY IT. THANK YOU SIR.
IT WAS OFFICIALLY 5:00. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CITY ATTORNEY. NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[3. Receive a presentation from the Chairman of the Arts Commission on the creation of the Duncanville Arts and Cultural District. Council discussion on the proposed cultural district, and direction if needed.]
THEN WE'LL GO RIGHT INTO RECEIVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ARTS COMMISSION ON THE CREATION OF THE DUNCANVILLE ARTS AND CULTURAL HISTORY. COUNCIL. DISCUSSION ON THE PROPOSED CULTURAL DISTRICT AND DIRECTION, IF NEEDED. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU MAYOR. APPRECIATE IT. MAYOR.CITY COUNCIL, CITY MANAGER LOVE BEING HERE. I'D LIKE TO ALSO RECOGNIZE WE HAVE SOME REPRESENTATIVES, MY COLLEAGUES ON THE ARTS COMMISSION. SO SUFFICE IT TO SAY, YOU'RE SURROUNDED. YOU CAN'T GET AWAY. I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS. I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS BRIEF. AS BRIEF AS I CAN. THIS PRESENTATION THAT YOU SEE UP HERE, THIS IS THE PRESENTATION THAT I GAVE TO THE ARTS COMMISSION IN OCTOBER. IT'S THE ONE WHERE WE CHOSE THE NAME AND THE BOUNDARIES. OSTENSIBLY WHAT YOU SEE HERE, THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS, HAS SEVERAL TOOL BOXES TO HELP GUIDE MUNICIPALITIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ON DETERMINING THEIR CULTURAL DISTRICT. SO THIS IS ARE YOU READY TO APPLY FOR A CULTURAL DISTRICT? I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO DRILL DOWN WITH YOU GUYS LIKE I DREW DOWN WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION. AND I'M GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO. THIS PART. THIS IS A SLIDE FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS. I'M USING THIS AS AN EXAMPLE. AND IT HAS QUESTIONS THAT FOR US TO CONSIDER. AND WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE PROVIDED FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION. GREEN OF THOSE QUESTIONS ARE WE'RE READY TO DO IT RIGHT NOW. YELLOW WHERE WE HAVE AN ARTS COMMISSION, WE ARE ALMOST READY TO DO IT. READY TO PULL THE TRIGGER. RED IS THINGS LET'S LEAN INTO AND REALLY TALK ABOUT. SO THIS IS FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS. YOU ARE READY TO FOR A DISTRICT DESIGNATION WHEN THERE IS STRONG POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. I'VE BEEN IN ARTS DEVELOPMENT FOR 30 YEARS, AND I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE WORKING WITH MOSTLY DALLAS MUNICIPAL. I HAVE NEVER KNOWN A CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF WORKED SO HARD TOGETHER FOR THE ARTS. IT'S REMARKABLE. SECONDLY, DISTRICT PLANNING EFFORTS REFLECT THE DIVERSITY OF YOUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMITTEE. YOU KNOW WHERE THE FUNDS ARE COMING FROM TO PAY FOR THE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT PROMOTION ACTIVITIES. WELL, WE HAVE A NEW ENTERPRISE FUND THAT OSTENSIBLY IT'S IN A PARK. THERE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THERE'S LOCAL BUSINESSES.
THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS TO PULL FROM YOU HAVE MARKETING AND PROMOTION STRATEGIES AND PLANS FOR THE FOR THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. IT'S INCONVENIENT THAT OUR STAFF LIAISON HAPPENS TO BE THE GUY IN FRONT OF, IN CHARGE OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, READY TO GO. RIGHT NOW, THERE IS STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURAL LEADERS. YOU HAVE AN AGENCY WITH STAFF AND MANAGEMENT CAPACITY TO ACT AS ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL AGENT. WE DO. WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT AT THE END. AND YOU HAVE ACCESS TO RESEARCH AND PLANNING EXPERTISE. EVERY PRESENTATION I HAVE EVER GIVEN TO EITHER THIS BODY OR THE ARTS COMMISSION. I'VE ALSO TALKED TO PARKS AND RECREATION, I'VE TALKED TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING COMMISSION. VICE CHAIR BROWNING HAS TALKED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THERE IS A LIST OF ALL THE RESEARCH WE PULLED FROM. AND YOU KNOW WHY YOU NEED A CULTURAL DISTRICT. MY PERSPECTIVE. THIS IS ALL GREEN AND ALMOST READY TO GO. WHAT IS CULTURAL TOURISM? REALLY QUICKLY, THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY'S TERM FOR DESCRIBING TRAVEL DIRECTED TOWARDS ARTS. WE'RE READY. HERITAGE. ALMOST. RECREATION. WE GOT IT. NATURAL RESOURCES. BOY, WE'RE REALLY ABOUT TO JUMP IN IT. THERE IS. THIS IS NOT NEW. TOURISTS HAVE COME TO TEXAS FOR DECADES TO EXPERIENCE THINGS, BUT IT'S A GOOD WAY OF CONNECTING VISITORS TO AUTHENTIC CULTURAL EXPERIENCES. ARMSTRONG PARK HAS BEEN THE CENTER OF DUNCANVILLE FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS. WE CAN WE CAN TRACK ALL THE WAY BACK FROM WHEN IT WAS. IT WAS AN AIR FORCE STATION. I'M 52 YEARS OLD. THIS IS MY HOMETOWN. THIS IS WHERE EVERYBODY. AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN AROUND. THIS IS WHERE EVERYBODY COLLECTED. SO YOU THINK OF EVERY BUILDING, EVERY PARADE, EVERY EVENT, EVERY CONCERT, ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LIBRARY, ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN HOPKINS, ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED AROUND IT. THAT'S IN OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT. THESE MULTICULTURAL AND MULTIGENERATIONAL VISITORS MAKE THEIR WAY FOR TRAVEL CHOICES RELATED TO PERFORMANCE, ARTISTIC ACTIVITY. OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO LEAN TO ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL OFFERINGS. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT. I'M GOING TO USE THE EXAMPLE OF MULTI-GENERATIONAL. I HAVE MY OWN, BUT THAT'S NOT THE EXAMPLE I'M GOING TO USE. RECENTLY, I INVITED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND OTHERS TO COME TO THE NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER.
THERE, YOU REMEMBER, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO GO IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, WAS A RECREATION OF KIDSVILLE THE ARTIST WHO DID THE WHO, WHO DID IT. HE DIDN'T EVEN GRADUATE FROM DUNCANVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. HE LIVED TILL HE WAS 13. HE'S IN NEW YORK. HE HAS A HE HAS A PRESS KIT AS LONG AS MY
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ARM. HE CREATED PART OF HIS SIGNATURE SERIES, RECREATED KIDS VILLE. YOU TURN THE CORNER. AND WORLD RENOWNED NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER. THEY RECREATED KIDSVILLE, OUR DUNCANVILLE. I GOT TO INTRODUCE THE MAYOR TO THIS YOUNG MAN WHO WAS GOBSMACKED THAT THE MAYOR CAME TO VISIT WITH HIM. THAT'S MULTIGENERATIONAL. HOW DO WE SELECT THE BOUNDARIES? BUT WE TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT. IS CONTIGUOUS IN THE AREA, IS WALKABLE, HAS LOTS OF ARTS ACTIVITIES. SO THAT'S YELLOW. WE'VE GOT A NEW ARTS COMMISSION. WE ARE WORKING OVERTIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR POLICIES IN PLACE SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO EXERCISE OUR FINANCIAL POWER.AND KUDOS TO THE CITY MANAGER. HE'S TAKING THE LEAD, MAKING SURE WE MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.
THE ARTISTIC RESOURCES SHALL PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE LIVABILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY. THE DISTRICT MUST BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN PROMOTION. IT MEANS THAT WE CALL IT THE ARTS COMMISSION. WE CALL IT A CULTURAL DISTRICT. WE TREAT IT LIKE A CULTURAL DISTRICT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE PUT BANNERS, WE PUT KIOSKS. IT'S NOT JUST THAT THERE'S SPECIAL EVENTS, BUT THERE'S ARTS PROGRAMING. SO WE'VE GOT TO RECRUIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO COME INTO DUNCANVILLE, STAY HERE, MAKE THIS THEIR HOME. AND THEY DO CONSISTENT PROGRAMING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. RESTAURANTS OKAY. THAT'S A BIG RED. BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAN INTO IT. HOW HAPPY WOULD THIS COMMUNITY TO BE IF THEY SAW US ACTIVELY TRYING TO CREATE EATING EXPERIENCES? I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THE ARTS, THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS ALREADY VOTED ON. WE HAVE OUR BUSINESS MIXERS. WE'RE PLANNING FOR THIS YEAR'S BUSINESS MIXERS.
WE'VE ALREADY INCLUDED CULINARY ARTS AS ONE OF OUR BUSINESS MIXERS. IF WE CAN'T GET PERMANENT RESTAURANTS, THINK OF POP ART. THINK OF THINK OF FOOD TRUCKS, THINK OF EXPERIMENTATION. THIS IS FUN. THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF. THIS IS WHAT BRINGS THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN THE ARTS COMMISSION, I WAS JUST TALKING WITH COMMISSIONER THORPE HARRIS. PEOPLE ARE ALREADY OWNING THE ARTS COMMISSION. THEY'RE COMING TO US WITH IDEAS.
THEY WANT TO CREATE SOMETHING NEW VENUES, HOTELS AND OTHER AMENITIES. SO THE GREAT THING ABOUT ARMSTRONG PARK IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY, LOTS OF ADJACENT THINGS TO DO. WHAT DOES WALKABILITY. OH BOY. I'VE HAD ARGUMENTS WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION ON THIS. UP AND DOWN.
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS A FRIENDLY FOR PEOPLE LIVING, SHOPPING, VISITING AND SPENDING TIME IN IT. CHARACTERISTICS INCLUDE. IT HAS A CENTER. AND AGAIN, THIS IS ALL FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS. ENOUGH PEOPLE FOR BUSINESS AND ACTIVITY TO FLOURISH, MIXED INCOME AND MIXED USE WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NEARBY PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES TO GATHER AND PLAY DESIGNATED FOR PEDESTRIAN USE. BUILDINGS CLOSE TO THE STREET AND PARKING AT THE BACK, CLOSE TO SCHOOLS AND WORKPLACES. I'VE ALREADY HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS FOR THE ISD, MR. PAUL DOUCETTE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT WE'RE ADJACENT TO A LOT OF SCHOOLS, INCLUDING CENTER, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A NEW FINE ARTS SCHOOL. HE'S HE'S GOING TO SUPPORT THIS STREET IS DESIGNED FOR BICYCLISTS, PEDESTRIANS, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT. WE DON'T HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT, BUT WE HAVE STAR TRANSIT. AND THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, FOR FOLKS TO LEAN INTO, HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE BACK AND FORTH? HOW DO WE GET THEM TO RESTAURANTS? HOW DO WE GET TO HOTELS? IF THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON AT HOPKINS AND IT'S A LIVE PERFORMANCE? HOW DO YOU GET A HOTEL? HOW DO YOU GET TO A LOCAL RESTAURANT? SO THIS IS ALL STUFF THAT YOU'VE HEARD ME TO SAY I WANTED. I'VE BEEN ASKED MANY TIMES TO KEEP THIS BRIEF. I WANTED TO LEAN INTO THE RED, THE YELLOW AND THE GREEN AND STAND FOR QUESTIONS. THE LAST LITTLE BIT OF THIS. SO THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS HAD A ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS FOR NINE MONTHS. ORIGINALLY, WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT. THE SHAPE KIND OF LOOKED LIKE NEBRASKA. WHY DID WE SETTLE ON ARMSTRONG PARK? IT'S ALREADY A CULTURAL DISTRICT. IT MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A CULTURAL DISTRICT DOES HAVE EVERYTHING, AND EVERY OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICT DOES KNOW DALLAS COUNTY HAS THREE. THE ARTS DISTRICT IN DOWNTOWN, FAIR PARK, AND DEEP ELLUM. NONE OF THOSE ARE ALIKE. SO THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE CULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAM SHOULD WE FIRST OF ALL, JUST TREATING IT LIKE A CULTURAL DISTRICT, THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BENEFIT FROM RIGHT AWAY. THERE'S NO DISCUSSIONS, THERE'S NO PLANS.
LET'S JUST LEAN INTO IT AND START TREATING IT LIKE A CULTURAL DISTRICT AND BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. AND IT ALSO ALLOWS US FOR IMMEDIATELY TO GET INFORMATION BACK. WHAT'S THE POINT OF TALKING ABOUT IT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE LIVE PERFORMANCES AT HOPKINS, IF THEY'RE NOT JUST FINISHED A LIVE PERFORMANCE AT HOPKINS? AND SO THIS IS HOW WE GOT HERE. IT'S CONTIGUOUS, IT'S WALKABLE, IT'S ADJACENT TO SCHOOLS. IT'S ADJACENT TO NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE'S HISTORIC SPACES IN THERE THAT WE CAN LEAN IN. WE HAVE THE MUSIC ROOM, THE ICE HOUSE, THE WE COULD TURN THAT INTO A LIVING ROOM FOR LIVING MUSEUM FOR KIDS. IT HAS THE WALKABILITY. IT HAS THE HISTORY OF 50 YEARS. IT HAS CIVIC BUILDINGS. AND AGAIN, A REMINDER, EVERYTHING IN THERE.
AND WE HAVE A NEW ARTS COMMISSION WITH AN ENTERPRISE FUND THAT CAN REALLY FILL IN THE GAPS ALSO AROUND IT. WHAT, WHAT A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES DO IS THEY USE AREAS AROUND CULTURAL DISTRICTS TO CREATE VARIOUS KINDS OF OTHER OVERLAY DISTRICTS TO, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
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IT'S A MARKETING TOOL. I DON'T KNOW THE LAST TIME THAT THE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAD SUCH A GIFT DROPPED IN HIS LAP. THE OTHER PART, THIS IS OUR PARK. WE OWN THE PARK. IT WILL ALWAYS BE A PARK. IT WILL ALWAYS BELONG TO THE PEOPLE. ARTS BELONG TO THE PEOPLE. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN OWN AND FEEL OWNERSHIP OF IT AND, AND STILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LEAN INTO THE OTHER PARTS OF TOWN. THIS IS PAGE 17 OF THIS 20 PAGE PRESENTATION. THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS, WHAT THEY CALL IT A CDM, A CULTURAL DISTRICT MANAGEMENT ENTITY. WHAT THE. THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION. I RECOMMEND WE TAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION. YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY MANY, MANY, MANY TIMES ALL THE PIECES ARE MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. LET'S JUST ALL MOVING. LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THEY'RE MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. SO WE HAVE A COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A CULTURAL DISTRICT STEERING COMMITTEE WITH WITH VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES. I LEAVE FOR AUSTIN TOMORROW FOR TEXAS ARTS ADVOCACY DAY, AND I'LL BE MEETING WITH POLICYMAKERS AND FOLKS FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS, AND PROBABLY YVONNE DAVIS'S OFFICE. AND I GET TO TALK ABOUT THE ARTS COMMISSION. I GET TO TALK ABOUT AN ENTERPRISE FUND, AND I HOPE I GET TO TALK ABOUT THIS. SO WE'D INVITE THEM TO DO IT. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMEONE HERE THAT PULLS ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER. I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION. DIDN'T DISCUSS IT, BUT HE'S SITTING VERY NEAR YOU ALL. HERE'S THE OTHER PART. ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE, MARKETING COMMITTEE, CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE, DESIGN COMMITTEE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE. THERE'S AN ARTS COMMITTEE. HOW MANY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND STAFF DEPARTMENTS ARE ALREADY DOING THIS? WE DON'T HAVE TO CREATE STAFF. EVERYBODY'S ALREADY DOING THIS. SO TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS GIVES ONCE WE DECIDE TO DO THIS, THEY LEND A LOT OF SUPPORT, A LOT OF EDUCATION, A LOT OF WAYS THAT WE CAN LEAN INTO THIS. WE JUST HAVE TO AGREE THAT ARMSTRONG PARK IS A CULTURAL DISTRICT. LET'S START THERE. AND THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AS NECESSARY. SO I PROMISE EVERYBODY I WOULD KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF. I THOUGHT WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT IS WHAT THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS DISCUSSED, WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE ALMOST HAVE, AND WHAT WE NEED TO LEAN INTO. SO I'M HAPPY TO STAND FOR QUESTIONS. YOU SAID WHAT WE HAVE, WHAT WE ALMOST HAVE AND WHAT WE NEED TO LEAN INTO. WHERE IS THAT DEFINED? IS THAT THE APPLICATION THAT THAT COMES FROM TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS HAVE DECIDED WHAT THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS ARE FOR A SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION FOR A CULTURAL DISTRICT. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO THE POINT OF THIS IS THERE'S DEVELOPMENT TOOLS, A PART OF THIS. BUT IT'S NOT THAT LET'S CREATE A CULTURAL DISTRICT AND THEN GO APPLY FOR THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS WANTS TO RECOGNIZE IT AS AUTHENTIC, AND YOU'RE ALREADY TREATING IT AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT. YOU'RE ACTIVELY PROMOTING IT AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT. SO EVERY COMMUNITY IS DIFFERENT. YOU MY EXAMPLES OF THREE IN DALLAS COUNTY, THEY'RE ALL VERY DIFFERENT. AND, AND THEY ALL APPROACH IT DIFFERENTLY BASED ON THE RESEARCH I HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS OUT IS IF WE PUT UP A GOOD SHOW. THIS IS OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT, 50 YEARS WORTH OF HISTORY OF THIS, THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T DO, HOW FAR DO WE LEAN INTO IT? HOW FAR DO WE MAKE A GOOD EXAMPLE? IF WE CAN'T HAVE RESTAURANTS DIRECTLY IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, HOW DO WE HOW DO WE MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE? AND THAT'S OPPORTUNITY TO BE CREATIVE. REMINDER WE HAVE AN ARTS COMMISSION WHO WANTS TO INVEST IN THE ARTISTS AND THE REGION. THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT US. THIS IS ALSO ABOUT ENCOURAGING THE SOLUTIONS COMING FROM THE ARTS COMMUNITY, THE ARTISTS COMMUNITY, AND THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO HAVE TO OWN THIS. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT BASICALLY REQUIRES US ALL TO MOVE IN ONE DIRECTION. MOST OF THE STUFF IS ALREADY HAPPENING. AND SO LET'S SAY THAT WE CAN NEVER GET A RESTAURANT. TO GO BACK TO YOUR QUESTION, I'M GETTING TANGENTIAL. LET'S SAY THAT WE CAN NEVER GET A RESTAURANT. WELL, WE ADDRESS IT. WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A 50 YEAR OLD PARK. WE HAVE RESTAURANTS NEARBY. WE HAVE A POP UP RESTAURANT PROGRAM. MAYBE WE HAVE A LOT OF. WE HAVE THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS TAKEN ON A CULINARY ARTS INITIATIVE. MAYBE.MAYBE WE HAVE FOOD TRUCKS. MAYBE WE DON'T. MAYBE WE JUST DON'T HAVE A RESTAURANT, A RESTAURANT.
THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES. THIS IS AN APPLICATION. WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO HAVE A FAVORABLE APPLICATION. THE ARTS COMMISSION THINK, BELIEVES THAT ARMSTRONG PARK PRESENTS THE MOST THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY FOR A FAVORABLE APPLICATION. BUT THERE'S NO GUARANTEES. IF WE DON'T GET IT, WHO CARES? WE CREATED A CULTURAL DISTRICT. THE COMMUNITY CAN LEAN INTO IT. WE LEANED INTO IT. WE MADE FUN WITH IT. WE REALLY BOLSTERED OUR OUR, OUR OUR PERSONA AND THE
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COMMUNITY AND THE REGION. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CULTURAL DISTRICTS AND STATISTICALLY, WHAT THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS HAS COMMISSIONED STUDIES THAT SHOW THIS IS WHY TEXAS INVESTS IN CULTURAL DISTRICTS, BECAUSE THERE IS AN ECONOMIC RETURN. ANECDOTALLY, I WAS AT A MIXER IN WACO AND I MET THE FOUNDER OF CREATIVE WACO. SHE'S ALSO THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER TOMORROW. THEY'RE ABOUT THEIR FIVE YEARS, SO THERE ARE A FEW YEARS AHEAD OF US. THEY STARTED OFF AS A COMMISSION. THEY HAD $60,000. THEY NOW HAVE $1.2 MILLION. WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR A CULTURAL DISTRICT, THEY ARE THE HIGHEST RATED APPLICATION THAT YEAR. TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS DOESN'T LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE APPLICATION, EVERY SINGLE YEAR. IT IS COMPETITIVE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO BEST FOOT FORWARD. AND WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND, THIS IS ANECDOTAL. THIS IS NOT I'M NOT READING A STATEMENT SAYING WHAT SHE TOLD ME. IT WAS ANECDOTAL, SHE SAID, AND THIS IS MORE GENEROUS THAN THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS STUDY. FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S SPENT IN THE ARTS IN WACO, THERE IS A $4 RETURN IN SALES TAX. SO FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, LET'S JUST TRY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE ARTS COMMISSION, LET'S LEAN INTO IT.LET'S GIVE THE COMMUNITY AND ARTISTS HOME BASE. LOTS OF OTHER THINGS ARE GOING TO BE HAPPENING WITH THE ARTS COMMISSION. I'VE ALREADY TALKED WITH OUR STAFF LIAISON AND OUR COUNCIL LIAISON.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEVELOP A CULTURAL ASSET INVENTORY THAT RECOGNIZES OTHER CULTURAL ASSETS. WE HAVE LOTS OF CULTURAL ASSETS IN THE COMMUNITY. THEY'RE GOING TO GROW. DO THEY HAVE TO BE IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT? NO, I THINK I HIT ALL THE REDS. OKAY. SO THE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH AND THERE'S A WORKSHOP, RIGHT? SO THE GOAL IS TO ESTABLISH BECAUSE WE WANT TO CULTIVATE THE ARTS IN DUNCANVILLE AND WANT TO INVITE MORE OF THE ARTS IN SO THAT THE GOAL IS WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CULTURAL DISTRICT. ARE WE IN AGREEMENT ON THAT? OKAY. AND SO I GUESS AND LIKE YOU SAID, THE SECOND, WHETHER OR NOT WE GET RECOGNITION FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS, WE WANT A CULTURAL DISTRICT, RIGHT? I THINK AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY HAS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES, REALLY EXPRESSED INTEREST IN WANTING US TO HAVE MORE ARTS, MORE MUSIC, MORE RESTAURANTS. AND SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S THAT'S THE GOAL, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ECONOMIC COMPONENT TO THIS, AND THERE ARE POTENTIAL GRANTS NOT NOT GUARANTEED. RIGHT. SO THAT TO SPECIFICALLY BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS DESIGNATION IS IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE WE WOULD THEN BE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS THROUGH THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS THAT WE'RE NOT CURRENTLY ELIGIBLE FOR. SO WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS THAT WE'RE NOT CORRECT, NO GUARANTEES, BUT WE WOULD BE ELIGIBLE. CORRECT. RIGHT. OKAY. AND I. YOU KNOW, I'LL MAKE A GO AT THIS. YOU KNOW, I. FOR THE LAST FEW DECADES, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT. DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER AND A LOT OF AND I THINK THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, REALLY PRESENTED US A GAME CHANGER HERE BECAUSE NOW THEY'VE GIVEN US A STANDARD. AND I YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WHATEVER REASON HASN'T HAPPENED. BUT NOW WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, STANDARD, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF MEASURABLE, RIGHT, FOR BRINGING IN THE ARTS AND THE MUSIC AND THE RESTAURANTS AND THE ACTIVITY AND EVERYTHING ELSE. AND SO, YOU KNOW, MY, MY, MY INTEREST IN THIS IS INCLUDING ARMSTRONG PARK, OF COURSE, BUT ALSO INCORPORATING AN EXPANDED AREA. AND SO. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A SURVEY AND I KNOW THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION DID DISCUSS. WERE THERE ANY OTHER BOUNDARIES THAT WERE DISCUSSED? AND I WAS AT THE MEETING, BUT FOR THE REST, YES. SO ORIGINALLY IT KIND OF LOOKED LIKE NEBRASKA. ORIGINALLY IT INCLUDED A LOT OF MAIN STATION, AND IT INCLUDED AND INCLUDED AROUND THE LIONS PARK AREA. AND THEN I HAD OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT WANTED LIONS PARK LIONS, I'M SORRY, LIONS CLUB. AND THEN IT AND THEN IT INCLUDED COMMISSIONERS WHO WANTED TO INCLUDE WHEATLAND PLAZA. SO IT LOOKED KIND OF LIKE NEBRASKA. IT'S NOT WALKABLE, IT'S NOT CONTIGUOUS AND DOESN'T HAVE INDUSTRY NOW. SO I'M LOOKING AT THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME. LET ME TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS.
SO HERE'S I'M SORRY. YEAH. SO AND THIS IS YEAH. THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF AN EXAMPLE. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS EXAMPLE SOUNDS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DISCUSSED. SO AS FAR AS WHAT WE HAVE NOW COMPARED TO WHAT WE MAY HAVE IN 2 OR 3 YEARS, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE
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WOULDN'T EVEN BE APPLYING FOR. DESIGNATION FOR A FEW YEARS. RIGHT? SO THERE ARE TWO BIG NUMBERS TO RECOGNIZE. SO THEN WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THEM WITH WHAT THEY CALL AN LOI, A LETTER OF INTENT BY JANUARY 31ST, AND THEN WE FOLLOW UP. THE DEADLINE IS JUNE 15TH. THIS TRIGGERS A LOT OF ACTIVITY WITH REGARD TO THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS. SO IT'S SORT OF A IT'S WE HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC. YEAH. AND SO THERE'S LOOKING AT ARMSTRONG PARK BECAUSE WE'VE GOT WHAT WE HAVE THERE NOW SOONER OR LOOKING AT THE EXPANDED AREA LATER. RIGHT. AND SO FOR EXAMPLE WITH WALKABILITY. AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROPOSAL, I ALSO PUT WITH THAT, THAT MAP IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME STRATEGIES WHEREBY WE COULD INCREASE THAT WALKABILITY, AS IT WAS SUGGESTED, THAT ONE TRAIL COULD CONNECT ONE SIDEWALK, ONE PATH, ONE DEDICATED WALKWAY COULD CONNECT ARMSTRONG TO MAIN STATION. AND NOW WE'VE EXPANDED THE AREA JUST WITH ONE SIDEWALK ON ONE TRAIL. FROM HUSTED TO. ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS. WHAT ONE TRAIL, LITTLE TRAIL HAS BEEN ADDED, AND NOW IT'S WALKABLE FROM WEST PARK IN DISTRICT TWO TO DOWNTOWN. AND SO, YOU KNOW, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THESE HUGE NETWORKS OF TRAILS. BUT IF THERE ARE CONNECTIONS HERE AND THERE, THEN WE CAN CREATE THE WALKABILITY AND THAT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN CREATE.I GUESS FOR ME, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT DEPENDS ON DO WE WANT THIS NOW OR DO WE WANT IT LATER? BUT.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WHAT WE WANT FOR LATER IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK TOWARD. AND PLUS THESE THINGS ARE HAPPENING ORGANICALLY. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ARE HAPPENING ORGANICALLY. WE CAN ASK. FOR EXAMPLES OF A HISTORIC DISTRICT EXPANDING. YES. OKAY.
YES, YES, POSITIVE OF IT. AND TO MR. KOONS'S POINT THIS, I LOVE IT. I LOVE THAT WHOEVER MADE THIS, MADE THIS, WHO MADE IT, I HAVE NO IDEA I DIDN'T OKAY OKAY. SO I LOVE THIS BECAUSE THIS AND THEN ARTS COMMISSION AND ME PERSONALLY ARMSTRONG PARK I THINK IS GOING TO BE GROUND ZERO FOR WHAT IT MEANS IS LIKE YOU USE THE WORD STANDARD. I LOVE THAT YOU USE THE WORD STANDARD BECAUSE WE ARE PROVIDING A STANDARD AND IT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE STANDARDS WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BENEFIT RIGHT AWAY, RIGHT AWAY, THEY'RE GOING TO SEE IT. AND I GUARANTEE EVERYONE'S GOING TO SAY, WELL, WHAT ABOUT AND IF IT REQUIRES OTHER KINDS OF PEOPLE TO GET INVOLVED, GROUND ZERO REALLY SETS THAT STANDARD. SO I'VE NEVER BEEN OPPOSED FOR IT TO BE WRONG. AND I'VE NEVER DISCOURAGED THE ARTS COMMISSION TO TALK ABOUT A DIFFERENT WAY. I JUST THINK THAT ARMSTRONG PARK REPRESENTS THE MOST FAVORABLE APPLICATION. NO GUARANTEES 100%.
BUT BUT YOU KNOW WHAT THE STUDIES SHOW. AND IF YOU LOOKED AT ANY OF THE STUDIES THROUGH THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS AND THEIR PLACES, THE CONCENTRATION OF ARTS ACTIVITY TRULY STIMULATES THE ECONOMY. AND SO IT'S GOING TO BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH INTO THE ENTREPRENEURIAL COMMUNITY. SO I LIKE THIS AS WELL. BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT WHEN GOING AFTER THIS APPLICATION AND THIS DESIGNATION, IS THAT WE ARE AUTHENTIC TO WHO WE ARE. THIS IS GREAT FOR A VISION, FOR IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A VISION TO HAVE DOWNTOWN DUNCANVILLE EXPAND, WHICH IS WHAT OUR GOAL IS HERE ON COUNCIL. BUT WE SHOULD START WITH WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND. WHO ARE WE AUTHENTICALLY? WHAT DO WE ALREADY CURRENTLY HAVE WORKING IN OUR BUDGET? WHAT IS IT THAT WOULD REMOVE THE BURDEN OF ADDING ADDITIONAL BURDEN ONTO THE TAXPAYERS TO? ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE SURVEY WAS HOW MUCH EXTRA TAX DOLLARS IS THIS GOING TO COST US? WELL, IF WE GO WITH WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY THE ARTS COMMISSION, IT'S ALREADY WORKED IN OUR BUDGET. WE ALREADY HAVE THE PROGRAMING, WE ALREADY HAVE THE STAFF IN PLACE TO MAINTAIN THE PARK. WE ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING THAT'S INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET GOES TOWARDS THE PARK. AND THEN ONCE WE START TREATING THIS AREA THAT WE'VE ALWAYS HAD IN OUR CULTURAL
[00:25:01]
DISTRICT, AS THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, WE ARE NOW OPENING OURSELVES UP TO MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT SCULPTURE GARDEN. AND ONCE WE HAVE GOTTEN THAT ESTABLISHED AND GOT THE DESIGNATION, THERE IS NOTHING PREVENTING PREVENTING US TO EXTENDING IT AND EXPANDING IT LATER ON, WE CAN STILL EXPAND IT. WE CAN STILL GO FURTHER. BUT WHO ARE WE NOW? WE ARE NOW ARMSTRONG PARK. WHO HAVE WE BEEN THE LAST 50 YEARS? DUNCANVILLE? I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE 50 YEARS. I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE SIX, BUT I'VE KNOWN WHEN I LIVED IN OTHER CITIES. ARMSTRONG PARK WAS THE PLACE TO COME. SO I KEEP HEARING THAT. I GUESS I'M NOT SURE. SO NO. LAKESIDE PARK USED TO BE THE MAIN PARK PLACE, BUT SO I DID. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW THE LAST TIME I ASKED, YOU KNOW, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO EXPAND IT IF, YOU KNOW, LATER ON IF WE WANTED TO AND APPARENTLY WE CAN. I SENT YOU A TEXT. YES. AND SO YOU KNOW SO VICTORIA. SO THAT WAS ONE CITY THAT SUCCESSFULLY EXPANDED. BUT THEY STARTED WITH THEIR DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. IT WAS A 20 BLOCK AREA. AND WITHIN THAT DISTRICT THEY HAD MUSEUMS, PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS, RESTAURANTS. SO THAT'S WHAT THEY STARTED WITH. RIGHT, VICTORIA. MCCALLUM. SAME THING. WHAT THEY STARTED WITH WAS IN DOWNTOWN WHEN THEY FIRST APPLIED. THEY HAD AN ORCHESTRA, INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARTS AND SCIENCE AND CREATIVE INCUBATOR. THIS IS WHAT THEY STARTED WITH. MCKINNEY STARTED WITH HISTORIC DOWNTOWN CULTURAL DISTRICT WIMBERLEY. ANOTHER ONE THAT EXPANDED, STARTED IN 2015, IN WIMBERLEY SQUARE DOWNTOWN AREA. AND AT THAT POINT THEY HAD NINE VISUAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, NINE ARTS VENUES, CANADIAN POPULATION OF 26,000 OR 2640 PEOPLE. THEY EXPANDED, BUT THEY STARTED IN THEIR DOWNTOWN SQUARE, AND THEN THEY EXPANDED TO THE FULL GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF THE CITY. SO EVERY SINGLE ONE, BROWNSVILLE, THEY ALL STARTED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. AND THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE AS OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, VISION VISION STATEMENT SAYS, DOWNTOWN IS WHERE THE CITIZENS HAVE SAID, WE WANT OUR CULTURAL, COMMERCIAL AND ARTISTIC HUB. RIGHT. AND SO THERE'S A REASON WHY ALL OF THESE CITIES START IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE CITY'S BEGAN. THAT'S WHERE THE CULTURE IS. AND SO, AGAIN, ALL OF THESE DID EXPAND. BUT WHAT DID THEY START WITH? AND I WENT THROUGH BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE WRONG ABOUT THIS. SO I WENT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE CITY. THERE'S OVER 40 OF THEM THAT HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICTS. IF YOU GO TO ALL THEIR WEBSITES ON THE BIG WORDS YOU SEE ON THE FIRST PAGE OF THE WEBSITE, DOWNTOWN, MAIN STREET, TOWN SQUARE, ALL OF THEM. AND THE ONLY REASON I'M LOOKING AT THOSE, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD COPY, BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A STANDARD THAT THE TCA, DCA IS ESTABLISHED, THEN YES, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WHO GOT APPROVED AND WHAT THEY HAD WHEN THEY APPLIED. ALL OF THEM STARTED SOMEWHERE IN THE HUB OF THE CITY, DOWNTOWN. WELL. I MEAN, INITIALLY THAT WAS MY BIG QUESTION. WHEN IT CAME UP IS COULD IT BE EXPANDED BECAUSE WE'RE SITTING THERE SAYING THERE'S TWO SIDES OF THE STREET.YOU DO HAVE SOME RESTAURANTS THAT ALREADY EXIST OVER THERE. IT MIGHT NOT BE RESTAURANTS LIKE. YOU KNOW, THE MIGHT BE CONSIDERED, BUT DAIRY QUEEN'S BEEN HERE A LONG TIME AND THEY KIND OF WANT TO. BUT, YOU KNOW, I REALLY YOU KNOW, I, I LIKE I LIKE THIS I THINK, I THINK IT COULD EVEN BE BIGGER THAN THAT AS WELL. BUT I DO THINK YOU HAVE TO PUT A STAKE IN THE GROUND AT SOME POINT IN TIME. AND, AND WE'RE AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEARING THE RECOMMENDATION THAT IT'S THAT THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY. AND AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HEARD AND CONVINCED, THING CAN GROW AND EXPAND. AND I SAY, LET'S PUT THE STAKE IN THE GROUND. LET'S GO.
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THE ALL THOSE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED IT
[00:30:01]
WITH DOWNTOWN. IT SOUNDED LIKE MOST OF THOSE THINGS ALREADY HAD A LOT OF THE ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. BUT DO WE HAVE THOSE ELEMENTS IN OUR DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW? AND THAT'S THE OTHER THING IS, A LOT OF THEM STARTED OUT WITH A LOT OF VACANCIES. AND THEN AS A MATTER OF FACT, SAN ANGELO, THEY'VE GOT A VIDEO THAT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE LOOK LIKE BEFORE, AND HERE ARE ALL THESE VACANT, DILAPIDATED BUILDINGS. AND HERE'S WHAT WE LOOK TO LOOK LIKE AFTER. SO YES, A LOT OF THEM TURNED OUT LIKE DOWNTOWN DUNCANVILLE. BUT WHEN THEY STARTED AND THEN THEY, THEY DID THIS TO KICK START THE DOWNTOWN. AND I CAN CONFIRM THAT MY PARENTS FROM SAN ANGELO, AND I'VE BEEN OUT THERE SEVERAL TIMES, I'VE WATCHED THEIR DOWNTOWN AREA. CHERRY BROWN. I'M SORRY. SO YOU ALL HAVE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT INTO THIS, SO I'M SURE. WELL, I CAN'T SAY I'M SURE BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW. SO WHY WHY DO WE GO WITH ARMSTRONG VERSUS ANOTHER SPOT? IT'S ALL THE ELEMENTS ARE THERE. THAT WAS THE YELLOW AND THE RED AND THE GREEN. IT'S NOT TO DISSUADE ANY DISCUSSION ON EXPANDING OR THE OR THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE QUALITY OF DOWNTOWN. THEY'RE JUST NOT THERE YET. OKAY, WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE THESE OTHER CITIES MAY HAVE GOT THERE WITHOUT THAT BEING THERE YET AS WELL. BUT WE TALKED A MINUTE AGO. SOMEBODY MENTIONED THE COST. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WAS THE ADDITIONAL COST. IF YOU EXPANDED, IF YOU STARTED OUT WITH THE EXPANDED VERSION, NOT NECESSARILY THIS ONE, BUT SOME FORM THAT INCLUDED MORE OF MAIN STREET, LET'S SAY, WHERE'S THE COST INVOLVED IN THAT? THE COST WOULD BE THE RESOURCES.STAFF WOULD HAVE TO GO AND WORK HARD AT ATTRACTING BUSINESSES HERE. WE WOULD HAVE TO GET THE DEVELOPMENT GOING AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE GOING TO MAKE IT WALKABLE. AND LET ME JUST HOLD YOU UP RIGHT THERE BECAUSE, OKAY, SO WE HAVE TO PAY FOR STAFF TO BRING IN BUSINESSES. SO IF WE DON'T DO THAT, THEN THERE'S NO BUSINESSES TO BRING IN. NO. IF WE HAVE A STAKE IN THE GROUND. AS COUNCIL MEMBER MCBURNETT SAID, WE NOW HAVE A CARROT OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MARKET AND SAY THAT WE HAVE A CULTURAL DISTRICT THAT WE ARE TREATING AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT, AND IT HAS VIBRANT AND IT HAS ACTIVITY HAPPENING. WHEN YOU LIKE TO BRING YOUR BUSINESS NEXT TO IT, THAT THEN CAN STIMULATE THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE WANTING TO SEE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOMETHING TO ENTICE THE BUSINESSES TO COME. CURRENTLY, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN PROMOTE AND PROMOTE THE HOTELS AND PROMOTE THE BUSINESSES HERE, BUT IF WE HAVE A CULTURAL DISTRICT THAT LEADS TOWARDS MAIN STREET, WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THERE ONE DAY. WE HAVE 31 VACANCIES. I ASKED THE STAFF IF THEY COULD PULL UP HOW MANY VACANCIES WE HAVE FROM WHEATLAND TO CAMP WISDOM. JUST ALONG THERE, THERE'S A GUESSTIMATE OF AT LEAST 31. WE HAVE TRIED TO HAVE BUSINESSES COME IN, AND THERE HAVE BEEN JUST IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, ISSUE AFTER ISSUE AFTER ISSUE, IF WE CAN GET A CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATED IN WHAT WE HAVE BEEN USING AS OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT AND GET THIS ACTIVATION HAPPENING NOW, WE HAVE AN ADVERTISEMENT. NOW WE HAVE A MARKETING TOOL TO GET THE ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES AND ALL OF THIS ACTIVATION HAPPENING DOWN.
MAIN. MAIN HAS BEEN TRYING TO BE ACTIVATED FOR THE LAST, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS. SO DO YOU THINK THAT WE HAVE QUITE A NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT WE DO AT ARMSTRONG PARK? SO WE HAVE TO DOUBLE, TRIPLE, QUADRUPLE THAT TO HAVE THAT ACTIVATION OCCUR. I DON'T SEE THE CONNECTION, I REALLY DON'T. SO WE ALREADY HAVE THE PROGRAMING FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS HAPPENING IN OUR BUDGET. IT'S ALREADY INCLUDES SPECIAL EVENTS. WE HAVE THE 4TH OF JULY, WE HAVE THE CHRISTMAS.
THERE IS NOW A 15% POT FUND SET ASIDE FOR THE ARTS COMMISSION THAT CAN BE USED TO GET THE SCULPTURE GARDEN, TO GET WHATEVER OTHER COMPONENTS THAT WERE YELLOW. WE'RE ALREADY HALFWAY THERE. COMPLETE THOSE YELLOW ITEMS, GET THAT DONE WITH WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE DESIGNATED FOR THE ARTS FUNDING. AND IF I MAY, MISTER, MISTER MAYOR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO THINGS. ONE IS A FAVORABLE APPLICATION FROM THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS, AND THE OTHER IS A CONCEPT OF A CULTURAL DISTRICT. FOR AS FAR AS I KNOW, WE'VE NEVER DISCUSSED HAVING ONE. SO THE CONVERSATION IS ABOUT CREATING A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN, WHICH NOBODY WOULD NOT WANT TO HAVE, THAT IT WOULD IT WOULD IT LEND TO A FAVORABLE APPLICATION. AND IF IT DOES, FANTASTIC. THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE ARTS COMMISSION, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT IS RIGHT NOW WE THINK THIS IS OUR BEST BET AT GETTING A FAVORABLE APPLICATION. SO THESE ARE KIND OF TWO DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
[00:35:04]
SO AGAIN BACK TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE COSTS. SO WHAT ARE THE ADDITIONAL COSTS TO EXPANDING THE DISTRICT. AGAIN THE ADDITIONAL COST WE WOULD HAVE TO I WOULD ASSUME OPERATIONS WOULD HAVE TO FOCUS HEAVILY ON GETTING THE BUSINESSES IN DC, EDC, WHICH WE WANT TO DO ANYWAYS, RIGHT? YES WE DO, YES, WE REALLY DO. BUT WE'VE TRIED. A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO, $300,000 WAS APPROVED. SOMETHING'S HAPPENED WITH THAT. WE'VE HAD OTHER INSTANCES WHERE THINGS HAVE NOT HAPPENED. MANY DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, MANY DIFFERENT REASONS AS TO WHY AND HOW THAT HAPPENED. SO ARE WE GOING TO HOLD UP WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR WHAT WE WANT TO DO? SO I DON'T SEE THE ADDITIONAL COST. THE ADDITIONAL COST WOULD BE MAKING IT WALKABLE, GETTING THE ART ASSETS HEADED DOWN THAT DIRECTION THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO FURTHER INVEST IN, GET STAFF ON CREATING THAT SIDEWALK OR WHATEVER. AND IT JUST CAN'T BE ANY SIDEWALK. IT NEEDS TO BE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL. AND AGAIN, MY, YOU KNOW, MY POINT AGAIN IS THESE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK WE WANT TO DO ANYWAYS. AND SO IF THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THAT EXTRA TAB, THEN I THINK WE WOULD WANT TO DO THAT. IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCENTIVIZE THE LIVE MUSIC VENUE SOMEWHERE DOWNTOWN. I THINK WE DO THAT. WE'VE ALREADY $300,000 FOR RESTAURANT, RIGHT? AND SO I MEAN, THOSE ARE INVESTMENTS, BUT THOSE ARE COST EXPENSES THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE ANYWAYS. AND DEVELOP NEW DOWNTOWN AND REVITALIZE THEM. DO WE HAVE THE BUDGET IN DC, EDC, DO WE EVEN KNOW WHERE WE STAND WITH DC, EDC, FINANCES TO? THAT'S A DIFFERENT QUESTION, RIGHT? SO WHAT? REMIND ME AGAIN, THE BOUNDARIES JUST ROUGHLY OF YOUR PROPOSAL RIGHT NOW, ARMSTRONG PARK, JUST THE PARK, JUST THE PARK. WELL AND EVERYTHING IN THE PARK. SO THE CIVIC BUILDINGS AND THE PARK. SO THE, THE CONTINUOUS WALKABLE. SO IT'S 21 ACRES AROUND A CONTINUOUSLY WALKABLE.AND DID YOU ALL KNOW DID THE COMMISSION KNOW ABOUT THESE OTHER CITIES BEING ACCEPTED AND THEIR CONNECTION WITH BEING ACCEPTED WITH DOWNTOWN DISTRICTS? IS THAT THAT'S PRETTY THAT'S PRETTY PERSUASIVE RIGHT THERE. THESE CITIES WERE ABLE TO DO THAT. IT IS PERSUASIVE. YEAH.
AND THAT'S YOUR POINT. NO, WE NEVER DISCUSSED ABOUT EXPANDING PORTS. WE'VE ALWAYS DISCUSSED OTHER PARTS OF TOWN, USUALLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A CULTURAL ASSET. SO THERE'S A STUDIO OVER HERE, THERE'S A GALLERY HERE. THERE'S A COMMUNITY THEATER HERE. HOW DO WE INCLUDE THOSE? SO BUT IT'S NEVER BEEN IN THE CONTEXT OF DOWNTOWN. OKAY. SO IN THIS KIND OF PLAYS UP A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT MR. MCBURNETT SAID. WELL, I'M, I'M IN THE SAME PLACE AS MR. KOONS WITH THOSE EXAMPLES AND HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THEIR. I LOOK NOW BACK TO THE BOARD, THE COMMISSION, AND I SAY, OKAY, THEY THEY STUDIED THIS. Y'ALL. DID Y'ALL PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS STUDY. AND DO YOU FEEL THAT WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT YOU'RE REALLY INCREASING THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM THE STATE BY GOING WITH THE ARMSTRONG PARK VERSION FIRST, WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THE EXPANSION TO FOLLOW WHENEVER I DON'T KNOW WHEN WHATEVER WOULD BE, BUT IS THAT WHAT. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THE GROUP REALLY STUDIED THIS AND BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS OUR BEST OPTION TO GET TO GET APPROVED. YES. AND BUT IT WAS NOT UNIVERSAL. SO THERE WERE COMMISSIONERS WHO DEFINITELY WANTED TO INCLUDE LIKE WHEATLAND PLAZA. THERE ARE COMMISSIONERS WHO DEFINITELY WANTED TO INCLUDE MAIN STATION, ONE OF THE. NOW THERE WAS NO DECISION MADE ON. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS HOW YOU CREATE OTHER COMMUNITIES OF WHAT WE CALL A CULTURAL CORRIDOR. SO WHAT'S THE STRATEGY FROM HERE TO THERE? AND THAT CULTURAL CORRIDOR WOULD BE THE STRATEGY. SO MAYBE IT'S A MURAL, MAYBE IT'S A PAINTED SIDEWALK. MAYBE IT'S MAYBE IT'S FOOD TRUCKS. BUT YOU CAN TELL IMMEDIATELY THIS BECOMES SOMETHING MORE THAN ARTS COMMISSION. OKAY. SO PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO BE ANOTHER DISCUSSION, BUT I'D BE INTERESTED IN HEARING ABOUT EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL CORRIDORS THAT THAT COULD BE THE TIE IN TO GETTING HERE. SO AND KEEP THEM. SO AGAIN, THE ARTS COMMISSION
[00:40:02]
HAS NEVER LIKE TAKEN A VOTE OR A CONSENSUS ON A CONCEPT OF A CULTURAL, CULTURAL MATERIAL.IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE JUST WE'VE DISCUSSED AND IS THERE HOW WOULD YOU MAKE THOSE LINKS. AND IT WAS THAT WOULD YOU COME HERE TONIGHT TELLING US THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS FEEL COMPELLED TO GO FORWARD WITH THE ARTS DISTRICT THAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED TO US IN THE PAST TO INCREASE OUR OR PUT US IN A POSITION FOR OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY TO GET A FAVORABLE RESPONSE FROM THE STATE. SO THE VOTE THAT WE TOOK ON OCTOBER, WE HAD ONE DISSENTER. THE DISSENT WAS THE NAME, AS I RECALL, AND THERE WERE ONE. I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU THE WRONG THING ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 2 MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT THERE. SO THERE WAS NOT A IT WAS NOT. UNANIMOUS. THERE WAS A MAJORITY WAS PRESENT TO HOLD A VOTE. ONE DISSENTED AND THEN THE REMAINING. WELL, I'LL TELL YOU AND YOU'VE HEARD MY SUPPORT FOR THE POINTS THAT COUNCILMAN COOTS HAS BROUGHT UP.
I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD MYSELF. I'M JUST TELLING YOU, I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD. I'M.
I'M CONCERNED BECAUSE GOVERNMENT OFTENTIMES DOESN'T FINISH WHAT WE START. YOU ALL HAVE A LOT OF ENERGY, SO DON'T DON'T THINK I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU. BUT THAT HAPPENS. AND SO THE PROMISE THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN IN SOME REASONABLE TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE INCORPORATED ALL THESE PLACES IN BECAUSE I THINK IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN EXPANSION SOONER THAN LATER WILL HELP HELP INCREASE THOSE BUSINESSES THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMING HERE, BECAUSE WE NOT ONLY HAVE A ARTS DISTRICT, BUT THEY'RE A PART OF THE ARTS DISTRICT. WHEN THEY MOVE INTO ANYTHING ON THE AREA OF MAIN STREET THAT COUNCILMAN KOONTZ HAS DRAWN IN HERE. SO. COUNCIL CITY MANAGER, WE KEEP TRYING TO GET YOU THAT COUNCIL MEMBER ROAD. COULD YOU SPEAK TO PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS? SURE. WHAT ARE THEY? HOW DO THEY WORK? SURE. YEAH. THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS. A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE DOWNTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, WHERE IT BECOMES A WHOLE SEPARATE DISTRICT WITH SEPARATE TAXING JURISDICTION TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE AREA. SOMETIMES IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY, SOMETIMES IT'S OTHER THINGS. AND BASICALLY, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT IT IS THERE'S A ABOVE AND BEYOND SERVICE THAT'S BEING PROVIDED TO THAT AREA IN EXCHANGE FOR THAT TAXING AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S BEING COLLECTED ANNUALLY TO PROVIDE THAT HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE THAN WHAT WOULD BE A TRADITIONAL LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR THAT GROUP. SO IT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS, ESPECIALLY RELATIVE TO DOWNTOWN. OKAY. THEN WHAT ABOUT CULTURAL CORRIDORS? AND IS THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE POSSIBLE HERE? I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S A SEPARATE TAXING ENTITY. AGAIN, YOU COULD CREATE IT AS A YOU COULD ALWAYS HAVE THE TAXING JURISDICTION BE WHATEVER. AND THEN YOU COULD PUT UP OVERLAYS.
SO YOU COULD HAVE A CULTURAL CORRIDOR OVERLAY OR A DESIGNATION TYPE THING THAT COULD EXIST AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, IT COULD HAVE A SIMILAR AREA. THAT'S IT FOR NOW. YES, SIR. SAID I'LL GIVE IT A GO. I'M GIVING IT A GO. SO. ARMSTRONG PARK CONTAINS ALL THE ELEMENTS FOR A FAVORABLE APPLICATION. RIGHT. SO HERE'S. YEAH. IT SAYS, IT SAYS WE HAVE SOME RED ITEMS THAT WE HAVE TO I THOUGHT I WROTE THAT DOWN I THOUGHT I HEARD THIS OKAY. SORRY. SO WOULD YOU SAY THAT ARMSTRONG PARK HAS ALL THE ELEMENTS OF A FAVORABLE OR UNFAVORABLE APPLICATION? I THINK IT'S OUR BEST BET. I THINK IT'S OUR STRONGEST BET. THE ARTS. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE ARTS COMMISSION. AND FOR THE RECORD, THAT VOTE DOCTOR ANNE PERRY VOTED AGAINST. AND MISS TIFFANY WYATT, MISS SARAH MACIAS WERE ABSENT. DID Y'ALL REVIEW THE APPLICATION? THE ARTS COMMISSION? NO. SO HERE'S THE APPLICATION. SO THE FIRST SECTION IS JUST ESTABLISHING THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, THE CDM. SO THERE'S ALL THAT INFORMATION. AND THEN IT TALKS ABOUT THE
[00:45:01]
GOVERNANCE. SO I KNOW THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL RECOMMENDATION ALSO INCLUDED ESTABLISHING A NONPROFIT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE DOING NOW. WOULD THAT BE LATER DOWN THE LINE. SO RIGHT NOW THE ARTS COMMISSION IS LEANING INTO OUR ENTERPRISE FUND WITH REGARD TO ANY SORT OF DEVELOPMENT OR ENTERPRISE. THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE SOME. YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT RECRUITING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO COME. IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A NONPROFIT AS A FUNDING ENTITY, THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THOSE DISCUSSIONS. BUT RIGHT NOW WITH AN ENTERPRISE FUND, THERE'S THAT'S NOT OUR CALL TO MAKE NECESSARILY. THE INTENT IS TO RECRUIT NEW NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO CREATE AND TO CREATE THOSE ENTITIES, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WITH THE OTHER, THE OTHER CITIES, ALL OF THEM, EVEN BEFORE THEY APPLIED, THEY HAD A MANAGING ENTITY IN PLACE, WHETHER THAT WAS A CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ARTS ALLIANCE OR AN ARTS COMMISSION. SOMETIMES THOSE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND SO IS THERE A RECOMMENDED MANAGING ENTITY WITH THIS THAT WE THAT WE'D BE APPROVING ALONG WITH THIS? THIS IS THAT LAST SLIDE THAT I THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. THIS IS THIS IS WHAT THE TEXAS COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS RECOMMENDED. AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S CHALLENGES WITH BOTH. SO I HAD THIS AGAIN, ANECDOTAL I KNOW RIGHT NOW THERE'S NO CLIFF CULTURAL DISTRICT THAT THEY'RE WANTING TO DO. IT'S AROUND JEFFERSON THAT INCLUDES THE TEXAS THEATER. DO WE HAVE ONE. DO WE HAVE ONE. MANAGING ENTITY OKAY. NO, WE'RE APPROVING THIS. THIS IS THIS I THINK IS ON YOUR AGENDA TONIGHT TO DISCUSS THIS.OKAY. SO BACK TO THE APPLICATION. SO CULTURAL DISTRICT PROFILE BY THE NUMBERS.
JUST SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ON THE APPLICATION. CURRENT NUMBER OF NONPROFIT ART ORGANIZATIONS PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. AND HOW MANY DO WE HAVE NOW IN THE LIBRARY.
WELL, THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT IN THERE, BUT THE THEATER IS A NONPROFIT OUTSIDE THE CULTURAL DISTRICT ON MAIN STREET. THE CDC IS A NONPROFIT IS NOT. YEAH, WELL THEY HAVE. SO. AND WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL OF EXPANDING THAT? RIGHT. SO LET'S SAY WE HAVE ONE IN ARMSTRONG PARK. AND WHAT'S THE POTENTIAL OF EXPANDING THAT. WELL, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, NONPROFIT THAT HAS OFFICES PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN THE DISTRICT. SO CURRENT NUMBER OF NONPROFIT, HISTORICAL, CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE ORGANIZATIONS PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. HOW MANY DO WE HAVE? WE HAVE A HERITAGE PARK IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT ORGANIZATION. SO, YOU KNOW, MR. KOONTZ, THERE AREN'T ANY FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS RUNNING THE APPLICATION. RIGHT. AND SO RECALL AND THE GREEN, YELLOW AND RED RECRUITING THOSE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE A HOME HERE, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE. MY COMMENT IS THIS IS OUR BEST BET. WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE PHYSICALLY LOCATED PROBABLY OUTSIDE THE PARK OR PERHAPS TO USE IT PREDOMINANTLY. SO IF THERE WAS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT COULD BE IN, LET'S SAY, PLAZA, AND THEY PERFORMED IN THE DISTRICT THAT WOULD FIT THAT WOULD BE PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN BOSTON. SO CURRENT NUMBER OF ARTS RELATED FOR PROFIT BUSINESSES, ZERO. BUT OUTSIDE WE HAVE JONES INC, ANNIE. EARLS, HOWARD CAMERON, HIS NAME. HE HAS THE ART GALLERY ON MAIN STREET. WE HAVE THE LUCKY DUCK GALLERY. WE LOST THEM, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE WOULD HAVE MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN MORE FOR PROFIT, ARTS RELATED BUSINESSES IN THE EXPANDED DISTRICT. IT'S GOING TO BE HARD TO GET THEM INSIDE ARMSTRONG PARK. CURRENT NUMBER OF ARTISTS LIVING OR WORKING IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY LIVING THERE EXCEPT. AND THEN. BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT DOWN MAIN STREET, I CAN THINK OF 6 OR 7 ARTISTS RIGHT NOW WHO ARE LIVING ON CENTER STREET, ON MAIN STREET. CURRENT NUMBER OF RESTAURANTS IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT? ZERO. WE'VE GOT 5 OR 6 IN THE EXPANDED AREA, WITH MORE TO COME. CURRENT NUMBER OF THOSE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE LOCALLY ORIGINATED. CURRENT NUMBER OF HOTELS OR B&BS IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. ZERO. WE GOT ONE. WE GOT OLIVES, WHICH IS A HISTORIC HOME ON HUSTED. BUT THERE'S MORE OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IN MORE IF WE OPEN UP THE DISTRICT. TOTAL NUMBER OF GUEST ROOMS IN THE CULTURAL DISTRICT. NUMBER OF BARS OR CLUBS. I DON'T THINK YOU'LL EVER, EVER HAVE THAT. BUT IT HAD MUDHOOK. NUMBER OF FESTIVALS, ART WALKS, AND THIS IS KIND OF WHERE. SO WHEN IT GOT TO THE
[00:50:10]
EVENTS, PART OF THE APPLICATION AND ARMSTRONG PARK FULL OF EVENTS, RIGHT. PERFECT. THAT THAT IS WHERE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR BIG EVENTS. ALL THE OTHER CITIES HAD A PLACE FOR THEIR EVENTS.USUALLY IT WAS A PARK, BUT IT WAS WITHIN THE EXPANDED CULTURAL DISTRICT. SO, I MEAN, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ON THE APPLICATION, RIGHT? SO AS I GO THROUGH THIS, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO FILL THIS OUT NOW OR EVEN IF WE WERE TO FILL IT OUT 2 OR 3 YEARS FROM NOW, AND SOMEHOW WE GOT ONE RESTAURANT IN THE ARMSTRONG PARK OR A HOTEL IN THERE, SOMEHOW IT STILL DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A FAVORABLE APPLICATION, BUT IF YOU GO THROUGH AND FILL OUT THE SAME APPLICATION WITH THE EXPANDED AREA, NOW WE'VE GOT SOME THINGS. THE OKAY, JUST ONE SECOND, THE REALISTICALLY, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR YOUR ESTIMATE OF THE TIME PERIOD THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BY? IF WE GO THE WAY IT'S ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, HOW LONG WOULD IT BE BEFORE YOU WOULD THINK THERE WOULD BE A AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR AN EXTENSION? WELL, IT'S IT IT WOULDN'T BE, IT WOULDN'T BE THAT. SO THERE WOULDN'T BE AN EXTENSION. SO OSTENSIBLY WHEN WE FELT WE'D HAVE THE MOST FAVORABLE APPLICATION, WE WOULD WRITE A LETTER OF INTENT, AND THEN THAT LETTER OF INTENT MAY OR MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED. OH, NO, THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN IS, IF THIS WENT THROUGH TONIGHT AND AS IS AS YOU'RE PRESENTING IT AND AS WE TALKED BEFORE ABOUT ALL THESE EXTENSIONS, WELL, THAT WE THAT THERE WERE EXTENSIONS, HOW SOON, HOW LONG AFTER THE ORIGINAL ACCEPTANCE BY THE STATE WOULD IT BE BEFORE WE COULD ASK FOR AN EXTENSION ON. OH TO GROW. OKAY.
THERE YOU GO. I COULDN'T I COULDN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION WITHIN MINUTES OR I CAN GIVE IT I CAN GIVE AN ESTIMATE SO WE CAN ASK WE CAN BE CONFIDENT IN ASKING FOR AN EXPANSION ONCE WE HAVE THE BUSINESSES IN PLACE AND THE PERIOD OF TIME OF ACTIVITY HAPPENING, MEANING WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO DOCUMENT THE ACTIVITY THAT IS HAPPENING ON THAT AND SUBMIT THAT WITH OUR APPLICATION TO PROVE THAT WE HAVE. SO THE CULTURAL GOING BACKWARDS, BECAUSE I'M LOOKING NOW AND SAYING, OKAY, SO WE CAN'T APPLY TO GROW THIS UNTIL WE'VE PROVEN THAT WE'VE GROWN BUSINESSES ON MAIN STREET. I DON'T LIKE THAT BECAUSE NOBODY HERE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. WELL, WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT. SO LET ME SAY LET ME SAY THIS, MAYOR, WHAT THE ARTS COMMISSION IS ASKING IS THAT WE START TREATING THE ARMSTRONG PARK AS A CULTURAL DISTRICT, START TREATING IT AS THAT, AND LET'S SEE WHERE HOW FAR WE CAN GO IN GETTING THESE. REMEMBER, FAIR PARK DOESN'T HAVE HOTELS IN IT EITHER. DOES FAIR PARK HAVE HOTELS? NOT THAT I KNOW OF. DOES FAIR PARK HAVE EVERY COMPONENT IN HERE? BUT THEY DO HAVE A CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION, CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO EVERY CULTURAL DISTRICT IS AUTHENTIC TO THE CITY, EVERY CULTURAL DISTRICT. ABSOLUTELY REPRESENTS WHO THEY ARE. I CUT MYSELF OFF HERE SHORTLY. I ABSOLUTELY GET THAT. AND BUT THAT'S NOT MY THAT'S NOT MY POINT. MY POINT IS THAT IF WE'RE LOOKING AND WE'RE HOPING FOR SOMETHING, WE DON'T HAVE A DEFINITIVE ANSWER WHEN THAT HOPE CAN BE FULFILLED. OKAY. BECAUSE SAYING THAT WHEN X NUMBER OF BUSINESSES GO IN, I'M NOT ASKING WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN ASK FOR AN EXPANSION WITHOUT A HOTEL OR WITHOUT THIS OR THAT, I'M ASKING. THE EXPANSION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WOULDN'T WE ALL WANT TO GROW THIS? I DON'T KNOW, AND THAT'S PART OF IT, I DON'T KNOW. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I GUESS WE'LL FIND OUT TONIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO NO THANK WE GOT ONE MORE THING. OKAY. LET'S GO. FAIR PARK ESTABLISHED IN 2021. THEY GOT THEIR DESIGNATION COTTON BOWL I THINK I THINK BOOKER T WASHINGTON SPOKE THERE. AND 1900. I THINK ELVIS PERFORMED THERE. THEY'VE GOT MUSEUMS I THINK I THINK THE PARK I THINK THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE A IT'S NOT JUST A PARK. RIGHT. SO ARE YOU SAYING ARMSTRONG PARK. NO I'M SAYING IT'S NOT COMMON. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT COMPARABLE. NO. WHEN THEY WHEN THEY APPLIED I DON'T THINK THEY EVEN APPLIED. I THINK THE TEXAS COMMISSION OF THE ARTS WENT TO THEM AND THEY GOT THE DESIGNATION. WAS THAT ARMSTRONG. BUT IT'S, IT'S HARDLY COMPARABLE AS FAR AS WHAT THEY HAD WHEN THEY GOT THE DESIGNATION, NOT HAVING A HOTEL, IF I MAY. MR. KINGS IS RIGHT. BUT THE POINT OF
[00:55:06]
THE PROPOSAL FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION, IT GIVES US A GROUND ZERO TO START THAT ACTIVITY.THAT'S THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF IT. IT'S THE IT'S THE STRONGEST WAY TO GET THAT ACTIVITY STARTED.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, YOUR TIME AND EVERYONE'S TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. YES, SIR. QUESTION. WE'VE GOT BLANKS IN THE RESOLUTION TONIGHT. IS YOUR INTENT TO FILL THEM IN AND SAY WE DISCUSSED THIS AT COUNCIL, OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE SHOULD LOOK AT RIGHT NOW? I DON'T KNOW. YOU GET TO RUN THE MEETING. I'M JUST SAYING, I DON'T HAVE YOU JUST STIRRED UP. I JUST DON'T THINK ABOUT THIS. I DON'T HAVE THAT PARTICULAR ITEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. IT SAYS THAT THE NAME OF THE DISTRICT AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THE DISTRICT, AND THEN THE DESIGNATION. IS THAT IN THE RESOLUTION? YES. YES. WHEN? WHEN YOU ACHIEVE. APPLICATION THE DESIGNATION COUNCIL. YOU WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THAT NOW OR DO YOU WANT TO GO DO THAT? WHEN WE GET TO THAT AGENDA ITEM? WE CAN GO AHEAD AND DO IT NOW. DOESN'T SOUND LIKE. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A CONSENSUS TO PUT ARMSTRONG PARK AND THEN. OKAY. OKAY. WHAT IS THE CONSENSUS ON THE ON THAT PART ON THE NAME I THE ARTS COMMISSION RECOMMENDED. OH, WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. I KNOW I WAS SAYING WHAT I WAS REPEATING WHAT THEY RECOMMENDED. THEY RECOMMENDED ARMSTRONG PARK CULTURAL DISTRICT. IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT IF WE DO PLAN TO EXPAND, WHY DON'T WE CONSIDER ARMSTRONG PARKS AND CULTURAL DISTRICT? THAT WAY YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO COME BACK TO RENAMING IT AS ARMSTRONG PARK AND CULTURAL HISTORY. NO, IT'S ARMSTRONG PARK AND SUBTITLE DOWN BELOW.
CULTURAL DISTRICT THAT'S TAKEN AWAY THE ARMS TO THE PURE ARMSTRONG PARK. THIS IS ME TALKING. THAT'S TAKEN AWAY. THE PURE ARMSTRONG PARK. HISTORICAL REFERENCE TO THAT PARK. I WILL NOT VOTE FOR THAT. THAT'S ME. YES, SIR. WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DEVELOP THEM, OR DO WE SAY WE'RE GOING? TO EAST DALLAS WAY OR A FAIR PARK? WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO FAIR PARK. I THINK JUST HAVING THE CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION IS GOING TO WORK REGARDLESS. NOW WE'RE FROM PARK.
WE KNOW THE CULTURAL DISTRICT WILL HAVE ITS OWN BOUNDARIES. RIGHT. BUT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ARMSTRONG PARK AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARMSTRONG PARK CULTURAL DISTRICT? YEAH. OKAY.
I'M NOT ARGUING AGAINST THAT. I'M ARGUING AGAINST. RIGHT. NO, I AGREE. I DON'T. YEAH.
EVERYBODY'S BEEN ARGUING AGAINST ME TONIGHT. I THINK WE JUST NEED TO HAVE THE DESIGNATION. BUT NO OTHER NAMES WERE DISCUSSED EITHER. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LIST OF SOME PROPOSED NAMES THERE, BUT I DON'T THINK THE ARTS COMMISSION EVEN DISCUSSED ALTERNATIVE NAMES. I SAW SOMEWHERE THAT DUNCANVILLE ARTS CULTURE. I SAW THAT SOMEWHERE WHEN I WAS READING DUNCANVILLE ARTS CULTURAL DISTRICT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM, BUT I SAW MONICA GOODEN. I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THAT. NO. I SAW THAT. MAYBE YOU OUGHT TO JUST DEBATE IT WHEN YOU GET THAT. BUT LET'S GET THERE. LET'S GET THERE AND DO IT. BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY I REALLY LIKE TO GET THIS NEXT ONE STARTED. WE'LL FILL IN THOSE BLANKS OUT THERE. ALRIGHT. YOU GOT ONE MINUTE. ARE WE GOING TO 6:00? WELL WE GOT WE GOT A COUPLE MINUTES. IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO TAKE CARE OF PERSONAL BUSINESS. WE GOT ONE MINUTE. I'D LIKE TO START. WELCOME BACK. I FELT LIKE EVERYONE. SO I WE ARE WE ARE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.