Corpus Christi Downtown Vacant Buildings Told to Clean Up

Boarded up, poorly maintained downtown buildings may soon be put on notice: Clean up or pay up. A new ordinance establishing standards of maintenance and assessments for vacant buildings in the downtown area goes before the Corpus Christi City Council August 14 for a second vote. The first vote was approved on July 31.
Buildings in the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 3 will be subject to the ordinance, which includes mandatory registration of vacant buildings from Tancahua Street to the bay and Morgan Avenue to the ship channel. Registering owners will be required to pay a $500 annual fee to the city, keep contact information current, and let the city of its future plans for the building. The Downtown Vacant Building Ordinance applies to commercial buildings only.
Other requirements include annual inspections and standard of care requirements. Those requirements include exterior lighting with first floor activation, and secure roofs.
The new regulations come with some incentives as well. Buildings could qualify for up to $5,000 each to meet requirements. The money would come from the $50,000 pledged by the TIRZ No. 3 board to help owners bring their buildings into compliance. Once a certain standard is met, more funds could be available to further help develop, sell, or rent the space.
City council approved the ordinance as written by the TIRZ No. 3 board, with the inclusion of two amendments. The ordinance now includes an annual performance report and a review after five-years implementation.
Failure to comply with the ordinance could be costly for property owners, as citations will be issued for those that do not quickly come up to standards.
The TIRZ No. 3, which was established in 2008, uses a portion of tax money collected for the district to finance improvements and promote development in the area.