A standing room only crowd gathered at the Rose Copper Building Thursday to celebrate a new five-year plan for downtown Odessa and to applaud the steps that have already been taken to turn the area into a destination.
Mayor Javier Joven, Craig Stoker, chairman of the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, and Casey Hallmark, the new executive director of Downtown Odessa, each took to the stage during the 6th Annual State of Downtown Odessa address.
Since 2016, a great deal of money has been invested into the downtown area, including nearly $2.2 million to rebuild roads, $1.28 million to bury utilities and more than $511,000 to sink new water and sewer lines, Stoker said.
Forty-two new businesses opened during the same period, including the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, which anchors downtown and had a $1.7 million economic impact on Odessa in January due to conferences, Stoker said.
Stoker compared the improvements made to Odessa, both those “visible and invisible” to preparing a canvas to be painted on. Now that Odessa’s canvas has been prepared, the painting of a masterpiece can commence, he said.
Stoker also provided the crowd a few details from the new master plan, which was scheduled to be unveiled during an event later in the day. He spoke about improving downtown’s “walk-ability” with helpful signs, beautifying the area with public art and landscaping. He also spoke about increased housing and the city’s plan to work with Odessa College to establish a community space on 4th Street that will feature events, food trucks and splash pads.
Hallmark, who began her new job Jan. 3, told the crowd she is there to help downtown businesses and wants to hear their ideas. She’s already considering creating a downtown business association and community calendar because of what she’s heard so far, the native Odessan said.
“I am in love with our city. We live in the greatest city ever and my job is to help everybody else fall in love with it as much as I have,” Hallmark said.
She would like downtown to be a place where people can spend their entire day because there’s so much to do, Hallmark said.
Those gathered also honored John Herriage, the Downtown Odessa Volunteer of the Year, La Catrina & Co, the new downtown Business of the Year and Cruz Castillo, who received the Legacy Award.
Organizers of the event also thanked Alexa Moulakis, Downtown Odessa event coordinator, and Audrie Lujan, Downtown Odessa’s executive administrative assistant, for all of their hard work.
