Monday, February 24, 2014

Martin Sarkis' Vision for Downtown Goes Beyond Parking

Martin Sarkis at 13th Street Office
Martin Sarkis has lost two races for City Commissioner.  He expected the first loss, bitterly disputes the second, but has heard nothing from the Attorney General's office after submitting evidence a year ago. The regret is not simply personal, but based on the knowledge, that having made a living in two countries, he's in a position to give full-time service to his adopted city.

Sarkis, from the office of his business on 13th Street, still thinks about what could work for the city. He envisions something similar to what Austin has done, adjacent 6th Street, starting with the available land under the Interstate, but going further to include not only parking, but tourism.

Unused grassy land beneath Interstate 77/83 between 6th
Street and International Blvd. 
The land, under the Interstate, is maintained by high dollar mowing contracts.  Sarkis feels the state would eagerly turn that maintenance over to the city in at least one portion of the highway, as they have done in Austin.  The City of Brownsville now has competent grant writers who could secure grants for that purpose.

 But, there is more.  Sarkis envisions trolley cars transporting visitors and tourists to downtown, possibly with members of the Heritage Department giving brief narrations on Brownsville history, starting at the cemetery on 6th, continuing through downtown. Grants for alternate transportation, like trolleys, is currently available.

Continuing with Sarkis' concept, what if the newly remodeled, but seldom used Brownsville Downtown Revitalization Information Center were converted to daily use in some form of visitor center with information about Brownsville and unloading and  reloading of visitor trolleys?


Brownsville trolley circa 1900
Parking revenue should not suffer if cars parked under the Interstate are charged a rate similar to those parking downtown, but certainly downtown congestion could be alleviated as downtown workers could also use the trolleys.

In any event, private citizen Sarkis has an idea, that, if implemented, could be more impactful than simply relieving congestion on two downtown streets.




-

12 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2014 at 9:50 PM

    In keeping with a NorteΓ±o theme, why put goats under the Interstate to keep the grass cut? As a bonus, sell the cabritos.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2014 at 11:23 PM

    I would just rather park on Jefferson street and walk a few blocks than take a trolley from the expressway. waste of money. sorry. keep thinking of ideas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 7:49 AM

      If one is able bodied, and able to walk "a few blocks", yours is a good idea; however, there are many who would benefit from the use of trolleys.
      Maybe soon, Brownsville voters will consider forward thinkers like Mr Sarkis instead of the tired old politicians who wish to help themselves rather than Brownsville.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 4:41 AM

    I've always thought that area would make a good art space and skateboard park.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 9:09 AM

    As always, thinking of Brownsville as a touristic City is wrong, there is only a few real historic places worth visiting in Downtown, the fall of Brownsville's downtown was the coming of the Malls, first Amigoland and then Sunrise mall, right now downtown area is over regulated, making almost impossible to establish a new business not related to entertainment, and even that kind of business is difficult to open, bring back stores like The New Yorker, J & O, Paul's, JC Penny, Anthony's, Join Venture with El Jardin Hotel and turn it into a Galleria's Style mall with high end stores and restaurants Downtown Brownsville would come back to life

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 1:53 PM

      High end store for the POOREST CITY IN THE COUNTRY really???
      Let's work on getting JOBS here first for people to have money to spend. We're missing an opportunity here, we should be planning how we can work with Matamoros' new found oil discoveries and develop that industry. The dirty little secret is people will be willing to work across but they'll live here. Many of these new jobs are going to be professional i.e. engineers, chemist, geologists etc. and even the laboring jobs are high paid. This area could be the new "Midland." The main hurdle we have here is democRATS- MAMON, MOOCHER, FREELOADERS,WELFARE MENTALITY.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 9:20 AM

    There you go again, Jim, glorifying your BUC candidates. I'm not defending this dictator who calls himself our mayor but whenever he suggests doing something modeled after Austin you criticize him yet this BUC candidate says he wants to do something like Austin has and you hold him up on a pedestal. Get over it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 10:23 AM

    Martin Sarkis has lost twice for a good reason. He should stay put where he is.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 11:43 AM

    First, what is going to attract all the people to the downtown area that will justify expenditures for parking lots under the expressway????? Except for Sombrero Fest once a year......there is NADA! The city has tried trolley's....there may be two over at the B.U.S. barn.....but they require maintenance, are not airconditioned and the step up is excessive for most seniors. Having tours of the city on the trolley's have been tried.....noisy, hard to hear the commentator. Just ask Dr. Tony Knopp about that....he's done it. The walking tours are well done by Tony, but you have to be able to walk and they do take some time. There is not enough interest from the public to justify a year-round program and its too damn hot in the summer for those tours. So, why would any of us park under the expressway and take a trolley or walk into town.....other than Sombrero Fest once a year....what else would cause people to "flock" into Browntown.
    As the Kevin Costner movie stated...."Build it and they will come.".........they won't come just because we have parking under the expressway.....what does Mr. Sarkis suggest to "draw" the public downtown on a year round basis?????? He really has the cart before the horse.........and perhaps this backwards thinking is the reason he is not holding public office.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 2:34 PM

    To anonymous 11:53 AM, another comment just to prove how ignorant of the situation some people are, we all know Brownsville due to its insolated from the rest of the valley geographical position will always depend on people from across the river (Matamoros) for its commercial subsistence, Brownsville is a Commerce City, will never be Industrial or Touristic, focusing in attracting the Mall robust spending customers from across, to downtown, offering them options to buy what is on the malls just a short trip across form Matamoros to Brownsville downtown stores, would make a big difference

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 4:22 PM

    Look at San Diego. Does this city look like a poor border town like downtown Brownsville? I don't think so. They have their shit together because of great city planning from great visionaries. I'm not going to listen to the naysayers and pessimist that think Brownsville will always be like this. It won't. Stop trying to kill my buzz, assholes. It will grow to be a great city one day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 10:19 PM

      One day in the very distant future knucklehead. 12:34 hit the nail on the head. San Diego happens to be in picturesque California. Brownsville has dropped the ball and will continue to do so until we have either a phlilanthropist that wishes Brownsville to be his philanthropy or until we pay for a real mayor with previous experience lifting a city out of a cesspool

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)