Near Southside, Inc.
In order to be named a Cultural District, the Near Southside Cultural Commission must submit an application, a five-year plan, a marketing plan, a video, and letters of support from community members.
The Near Southside is working toward a Cultural District designation by the Texas Commission on the Arts, but the goal is slow going in the face of the public health crisis.
“We already have the infrastructure and the assets established, so we don’t have to become a Cultural District; we already are one. Now we just have to make it official,” says Jennifer Henderson, chair of the Near Southside Cultural Commission.
But making it official is proving difficult, as project organizers remain separated due to social distancing and companies scramble to stay afloat. The Cultural Commission hopes that the Cultural District title will foster more economic growth, guide development, and increases property values, as well as increase the likelihood of grant approvals in the area.
In order to be named a Cultural District, the Cultural Commission must submit an application, a five-year plan, a marketing plan, a video, and letters of support from community members.
“With all these institutions shut down, it’s hard to do our job,” Henderson says. “People are scrambling to save their businesses; they don’t have the extra time or energy to put toward this project.”
Despite delays, the Cultural Commission hopes to receive the designation by the end of 2020.
“The title should bring in more opportunities for the local nonprofits, opportunities for more new business to be attracted to the area, opportunities to inspire more tourists and visitors to spend their day here,” Henderson says. “The biggest benefit of the Cultural District title is that it would be a huge economic driver.”
