New LED street lights are being installed along Leopard Street as part of the Light Up Corpus Christi initiative. The project’s goal is to light up hot spot crime areas in the central city and North Beach. Photo by Carrie Robertson Meyer/Third Coast Photo
Downtown Corpus Christi glows a little brighter this month with the installation of new LED lights along Leopard Street from Upper Broadway to Brownlee Boulevard. The lights are part of Light Up Corpus Christi, a 2-year-old initiative to shine more light on hot spot crime areas downtown and along North Beach.
“Our goal is to make the central city and North Beach areas walkable, friendly neighborhoods,” said Darlene Gregory, who chairs Light Up Corpus Christi. She is also chair of the Uptown Neighborhood Initiate and a member of the Corpus Christi Downtown Revitalization Alliance. “We will continue until all the areas that are hot spots for crime are addressed.”
Replacing old lights with LED and adding additional LED lights and solar panels will help decrease energy costs while upping wattage, Gregory said. LED lights have a life span of about 11 years and save about 80 percent in electricity costs over high-pressure sodium lights.
“We had one estimate that showed a complete retrofitting of 150 streetlights could be done for $30,000 while bringing in an energy savings of $244,000,” Gregory said.
The project is funded from a percentage of parking meter funds as well as donations from the private sector. Donors can sponsor street lights from $1,000 to $25,000. So far, $38,000 has been raised through private donations.
“You can sponsor a street light in memory of someone or to honor your company or your employees,” Gregory said. “I bought a street light in memory of my brother.”
A plaque with the company or person’s name is installed on the pole and will be listed in kiosks near the new lights.
“There are people who are the lights of our life,” Gregory said. “Donating for a street light honors them in a lasting way.”
Anyone interested in participating in the project may contact the Downtown Revitalization Alliance Inc. care of Downtown Management District at (361) 882-2363. The alliance is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization.
