WHAT: Groundbreaking for New Downtown Rockport Center for the Arts Parking Lot

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 28 — 11 a.m. 

WHERE: Corner of S. Live Oak St. and North St., Rockport, Texas

As construction continues on the new 22,000-square-foot Rockport Center for the Arts (RCA), work will soon begin on RCA’s new 60-space parking lot located one block away on North Street between Magnolia and Live Oak Street. Both projects are scheduled for completion in September 2022. 

Made possible through a Community Development Block Grant, administered by the Texas General Land Office, the project is part of a $53.9 million block grant Aransas County obtained after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. 

The new parking lot will include overhead lighting, landscaping, an irrigation system, and new sidewalks, supporting the new RCA campus on S. Austin St., as well as other downtown merchants and special events. The new lot will surround three sides of the historic train depot, which was saved by Aransas County through the same block grant, allowing for the purchase of the property and having the depot itself donated to the Rockport Cultural Arts District for preservation. 

Construction is slated to begin in late February. The engineer for the project is Hanson Engineering and the contractor is Marshall Construction, both from Corpus Christi, Texas. 

“One of Downtown Rockport’s needs has been to have parking for citizens and tourists to enjoy the unique offerings of the area,” said Judge “Burt” C.H. Mills. “Aransas County is happy to have obtained the grant to make this project and many others happen.” 

“We are thankful to the leadership of Aransas County for having the foresight to include parking that will support 22,000 square feet of new RCA facilities for convention tourism, programs in all forms of Art, and the many activities in downtown Rockport,” said Luis Purón, RCA executive director. 

For more information about the block grant visit: https://www.glo.texas.gov/the-glo/news/press-releases/2020/may/cmr-george-p-bush-announces-more-than-43-million-in-disaster-recovery-funds-for-aransas-county.html

To coordinate coverage, contact Luis Purón, RCA Executive Director

(570) 702-4032 / luis@rockportartcenter.com