McAllen, TX (KRGV) — A planning company hired by McAllen released on Monday a possible roadmap for revitalizing downtown, presenting the results of a months-long study at city hall.

The study highlighted ongoing challenges to safety and an overconcentration of late-night businesses, with downtown visits dropping significantly during the early evening.

Priority recommendations include expanding city incentives through a 50/50 grant program to improve the appearance of businesses. Other options include creating a tax reinvestment zone to reinvest property taxes downtown, applying for historic tax credits to refurbish historic buildings, and using new market tax credits for mixed-use buildings.

Some proposed changes would eliminate a parking lane along Chicago and Fresno avenues, creating more space for pedestrians. Other changes would target Main Street, 17th Street, Fresno, and Chicago avenues, turning them into pedestrian priority corridors.

Additional recommendations include narrowing portions of Broadway, 15th, and 16th streets; promoting a park-once-and-walk experience; creating a public park downtown; and adding family-oriented amenities to Archer Park. The plan also calls for establishing recurring programming throughout the day, evening, and weekends and increasing shade through trees and awning incentives.

Downtown McAllen bar owner James Alexander said the past year of changes has already made a difference.

"Our sales of the Flying Walrus are actually up quite a bit significantly now," Alexander said.

Alexander reflected on how the conversation around downtown has shifted.

"15 months ago, no one was thinking about downtown," Alexander said. "You can't have 20 in a row that are doing the exact same thing."

Downtown McAllen property owner Aziz Showery, whose family has owned a building on 17th Street for nearly a century, said the area needs to be more welcoming.

"If we want to attract people to McAllen we need to make it presentable," Showery said, adding that he wants to see empty storefronts and former bars filled with life again.

"We want McAllen to contact those property owners and let them know that there's a possibility that we can probably find some kind of solution to revitalize their structure, their façade," Showery said.

During the workshop, McAllen City Manager Isaac Tawil mentioned the city's parks and public works departments are already working on a plan to enhance downtown with plants and trees. The retail development office has also received the go-ahead to increase funding to support small businesses through the 50/50 grant.

A final draft of the study presentation will be ready in two to three weeks.

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