HomeMy WebLinkAbout(P2) Bartie MICD Presentation 2024--Thigpen Gibbs FinalCity of porT arthur
Honorable Thurman Bill Bartie Mayor
Port Arthur, Texas
Mayors’ Institute on Community Design (M.I.C.D.)
PRESENTATION
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AGENDA
1898 – 2023 Port Arthur’s
“QUASQUICENTENNIAL”
“As the city’s quasquicentennial Mayor, I am pleased to be able to
usher in another 125 years of growth, development and forward progress building on our storied past, but looking toward a brighter future.”
T. Bartie, Mayor
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Port Arthur, Texas: A Snapshot
◊Location: Southeast Texas, Beaumont-Port Arthur MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area), 90 miles E of Houston,
Texas on the Gulf Coast, part of the “Golden Triangle” (Port Arthur, Beaumont, and Orange, Texas)
◊population: 56,039
≈ White-24.1%, black-38%, American Indian-1%, Asian-5.9%, Hispanic 31% 1
◊ Economy: Unemployment – Beaumont/Port Arthur MSA-6.5%, Texas 4.10% 2
Base: Oil/petrochemical
◊CLIMATE: Semi-tropical, supporting birding, fishing, Crabbing, golfing, athletic and
outdoor interests
1. U. S. Census bureau 2. U. S. Bureau of labor statistics
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Port Arthur, Texas: A Snapshot
◊CULTURE: Highly diverse, southern/southeast Texan culture composed of: Acadian
(Cajun), Vietnamese(Asian), Hispanic/Latino (including Tex/Mex influence),
Anglo/Caucasian (German, European descent), East Indian, and Indigenous
Americans
◊salient elements:
▬ in a hurricane-prone location. Experienced severe flooding of more
than 80% of the city in 2017 due to Hurricane Harvey.
▬ surrounded by minimally ethnically diverse cities.
▬ technology expansion has substantially, negatively, impacted long-term
employment of citizens by local oil/petrochemical refineries
▬ downtown has not been a business/commercial center for some time
▬ aging water/wastewater infrastructure, as noted for the entire state,
presents a major financial challenge for the city.
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►Founded May 28, 1898, on the banks of Lake Sabine in Jefferson,
County.
►Measures over 77 square miles.
►Home to a robust petro-chemical industry and an international
port, giving rise to its global impact.
►Officially declared “The Cajun Capital of Texas” by the state
legislature.
►Council-Manager government, Mayor and 2 seats at-large, 4
single-member districts
►Arthur E. Stilwell, a railroad and business magnate, the city’s
founder was highly successful in the areas of finance,
transportation, insurance and business.
►Stilwell founded Port Arthur on the advice of “brownies” (fairies)
being sure that it bore his name.
Port Arthur: A Historical Brief
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Port Arthur, Texas CASE STUDY: THE WOODWORTH PROJECT
♦ Purpose: The Woodworth Project is designed to create an enhanced, and
beautified, corridor to the Seawall and downtown, thus,
catalyzing the revival of the city’s downtown, commercial and
historic/tourist areas for economic growth.
♦Location: Woodworth Blvd. is the terminus of SH69 once it enters the
boundaries of the city. It follows a section of the street which is
named Memorial Blvd.
The boulevard serves as one of the major north-south
transportation and commercial routes into and through the city
The Woodworth Project re-invents and revitalizes an
approximately 12+ block section beginning at Gulfway Drive
(one of the major east-west routes and business route) to
Lakeshore Drive which abuts the Seawall [Hurricane Levee
Protection System (Corps of Engineers/DD7)] at which point it is
also part of the Historic District.
Prior to entering the Historic District, it crosses Procter Street, which is
the major thoroughfare into the downtown business district and provides
primary access to Lamar State College-Port Arthur, City Hall & the Port.
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Views of the Woodworth Project
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Views of the Woodworth project
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Views of the Woodworth project
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Views of the Woodworth project
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Views of the Woodworth project
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Views of the Woodworth project
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Views of the Woodworth project
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Views of the Woodworth project
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Challenges and concerns
● Downtown is located on the southern side of the city where rail and water use originated. However,
outmigration of businesses and the advent of technology have decreased the need for downtown travel.
● Although, located approximate to Lamar State College—Port Arthur, the lack of businesses downtown does not
draw or cause significant downtown traffic.
● There is significant traffic to the Seawall for walking and tourist purposes. However, this traffic does not produce
any measurable economic impact for the city.
● Although, Port Arthur has a strong petro-chemical/industrial economic base, there is a need to diversify the
economy to produce more employment opportunities.
● The project budget of $14.2M is depicted as the City Council diverting money away from its commitment to
fix streets.
● How best top illustrate to citizens the causal nexus between the project, quality of life improvement, and catalyzing
economic growth downtown.
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Challenges and concerns
● Finding funding to address aging, or failing water, and related infrastructure, encountered as part of the
project work.
● Preparing a plan to provide proper maintenance of the project upon completion while limiting staffing and
equipment costs.
● Ensuring it becomes a blueprint for other mayors, and city councils, to establish legacy projects which not
only create a substantive impact on the city’s economy and quality of life upon completion, but also pave
the way for future growth and development.
● Work on two (2) historic buildings [i.e. Federal Building and World Trade Center] purchased by Motiva,
Inc. to be used as office locations continues; however, as a good portion of the current work is interior,
structural or foundational community impression remains that little to no progress is being made.
● A new apartment complex with 120 unit located in the downtown area is complete and has begun
renting units.
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Woodworth project: Current status
■ Project is funded at $14.2M
■ Project is currently 15-20% complete
■ Target project completion date is July 2025
■ Project work has caused minor disruption and altering of traffic
movement and flow; however, no serious issues have arisen.
■ Overall; thus far, weather conditions have been conducive to project
work.
■ Project work completed thus far has received positive comments.
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the Woodworth project: Current status
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the Woodworth project: Current status
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Case study questions
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Thank you!
Thurman B. Bartie
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