just keep moving forward and try to build strong amenities for our citizens, strong education for our children, and good shopping to keep the sales tax rolling in.” REBUILDING THE HEART OF THE CITY Plainview’s downtown revitalization further exemplifies the city’s vibrancy. “We were a typical West Texas small town where commerce had exited the downtown area,” acknowledges Mayor Starnes. “Now we have a new generation of entrepreneurs opening businesses downtown.” The City helped stimulate this growth through a major streetscape renovation in its downtown corridor.“We are nearing completion of our streetscape project, another initiative from the planning efforts after the Cargill closure,” he adds.“We now attract people from all over West Texas to shop and dine in Downtown Plainview. It’s exciting to go downtown.” This reinvention was the result of a master plan supported by state grants and the creation of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ), says Assistant City Manager Jeff Johnston. “The TIRZ allows us to 27 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 PLAINVIEW, TX
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