Feb. 05–The rising sun lights up the Neches River at Riverfront Park, but few ever see those sparkles on the breeze-blown water.

The talk of the town — well, certain parts of it — for more than 30 years has been a "downtown hotel."

In the early 1980s, one of the locations imagined for it became home to the Art Museum of Southeast Texas.

Look across Main Street from the Art Museum toward the river.

That's where 150 hotel rooms and 180 apartments for rent could be built if a developer and the city can come to terms.

City Council likely will hear more about it in a work session next week.

What is known so far is that the north Civic Center parking lot might give up almost a quarter of its spaces to accommodate the new hotel and apartment development, which would include shops and a restaurant.

Chris Boone, the city's community development director, said he received just one response to the city's request for hotel proposals. It came from Itex Group, known for developing tax credit-backed, low income properties such as Providence on Major Drive, geared toward 55-and-older people; Grace Lake, built in conjunction with Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and a companion property, to be called Place of Grace. Itex also plans to build a tax-credit backed property in China, to be called the Carlyle.

Chris Akbari, president of Itex Group, headquartered in Port Arthur, said he would not seek tax credits for the downtown development. He estimated the investment at $45 million.

"The people in the city are trying to make it a better place and I want to partner with them to do just that," Akbari said in a telephone interview Thursday.

Boone said the proposal includes a hotel that would connect to the Civic Center and also would complement the city's plan to improve and expand Riverfront Park, efforts that could help to draw more people downtown and stimulate retail investment.

Venues in downtown continue to draw people to weekend events. The city reports consistent use of the Civic Center, the Julie Rogers Theatre, the Jefferson Theater and the Event Centre.

In an executive session earlier this week, council members listened to options concerning the closure of the downtown library but also heard library supporters passionately defend keeping the library open and operating.

Read the complete story in the Feb. 5 print edition of the Beaumont Enterprise.

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