The council majority backs it for solid reasons. The city will be spending only a little more than the $2 million it was prepared to spend in 2019 — $2.7 million this time. For a city with a budget of $290 million, that’s a small percentage.
As if that weren’t enough, the city will have an additional $20 million in federal aid it can devote to this project. That money comes from plans to restore Riverfront Park after the bank was severely eroded by Tropical Storm Harvey. The feds originally allocated about $45 million to restore the park’s bank to its original location, but the council agreed to spend about half that amount and stabilize the bank where it is now. But the city still gets the entire amount, and some of that money could be applied to the AT&T site. But even if all of it can’t, it can be spent in other parts of the city, and the money intended for those projects can be redirected to the AT&T project.
The goal on this project is simple: Tear down the building, empty for nearly a decade, and replace it with one or two restaurants similar to the successful Wheelhouse in Port Neches on the Neches River.
Beaumont has plenty of available office space, so it really doesn’t need the AT&T building. Just last week we reported on plans by local attorney James Payne to buy and upgrade the First City Building in downtown Beaumont. That’s an exciting project, and it will add to the inventory of office space in the city.
For the AT&T site, however, Beaumont citizens should ask themselves this basic question: What would they rather have there, another office building — assuming that large amounts of money would be spent to upgrade the structure, and then whether tenants could be attracted — or one or two Wheelhouse-type restaurants, leased or owned by a company?
That answer should be obvious. If the waterfront restaurant succeeds, it will beautify the downtown, create jobs and tax revenues and possibly complement plans to bring new ventures to Crocket Street.
There is some risk to this or any or project, but people or organizations that avoid all risk limit their options. The Port Neches City Council took a gamble by buying unoccupied industrial land and seeking a tenant for the improved site. The Wheelhouse is the result, and it has led to further development nearby. This project in Beaumont is a prudent risk by a city government that can afford it, and the benefits could be significant.
As the pandemic recedes, the economy in Beaumont and the entire nation is poised for a rebound. Developers and consumers have plenty of money they can spend on projects or services that were off-limits since the coronavirus froze everything.
The AT&T site is the last potential location for riverfront development in downtown Beaumont. An asset like that should be fully exploited, and this project could bring it to another level. We hope the new mayor agrees, but even if they don’t, the rest of the council should do what it was on the verge of doing last week and approve this deal. This is the time to look forward and dream big.