Rich with Reasons, Rich with Welcome
Why Beaumont is a better place to live

While the national housing market struggles, the strength of Beaumont’s housing market is getting national attention! Home prices are on the rise in the area, thanks in part to the strong local economy.

Texas never really had the housing bubble that has devastated other high-growth states, and without an inflated market, there’s not much of a pop when the bubble bursts. Taking a cue from Texas A&M research economist James Gaines and Texas Comptroller Susan Combs, there are three reasons why Texas has not felt the pain of other states, and why home ownership in Beaumont may be safer and more secure than other city in the nation. They are –

AFFORDABLE: With statewide median housing prices still around $150K, the housing market has responded and kept pace with the rest of the marketplace. As part of this, Texas generally avoided the exotic financing and auctions practiced by harder-hit states.

ECONOMIC STRENGTH: In 2007, Texas led the nation by creating almost 250,000 jobs statewide, and Beaumont completed its rise from one of the highest unemployment rates in the state to nearly full employment as work began on vast industrial expansion valued between $15-20 billion. It’s no secret a “rising tide lifts all boats,” and with an economy as strong as Beaumont’s, the demand for housing keeps pace with the supply.

NOT OVERBUILDING: Even with increasing demand, Texas homebuilders refrained from building more homes than the economy could support. A market in balance is a stable market.

The average closing cost for a single-family home in Beaumont stands at about $153,000 and financing options are available no matter your situation. “Home financing is quite available,” says Ann Scoggin of Coldwell Banker Southern Homes, “There are all kinds of lenders in the area ready to help homeowners.” On top of that, the FHA is raising their numbers, and the VA is making it easy for our young servicemen and women to get financing so they can own their first home.

Greater Beaumont Chamber President Jim Rich perhaps puts it best, “It’s not like we’re immune to the price of gas, immune to the tightening of credit, but I think there’s a recognition that things are different here than in other parts of the country,” he said.

In the growing west end, Metropolitan Park is being developed on 20 acres of land on Dowlen Road near the existing Tuscany Park complex. Featuring single-family units, a 90-unit condominium building and plenty of retail space, the landscaped Plaza Green will have a pair of two-story buildings, each with retail space on the first floor and office space above. Another two buildings for a restaurant and office space are planned around a reflecting pool. The Dowlen Road frontage space will host a bank and another retail building. The community development also plans a pedestrian sidewalk throughout the complex and a bicycle trail that links to existing city trails.

Shoppers from east Texas and southwestern Louisiana choose Beaumont. Conveniently located along Dowlen Road and Highway 69/96, Parkdale Mall is the premier shopping facility in Southeast Texas and the largest retail center in the area, and like the community it serves, it is continuing to expand. Anchored by department stores Dillard’s, Sears, JCPenney, and Macy’s, Parkdale Mall recently completed a multi-million-dollar renovation celebrating the regional heritage of the Spindletop oil boom and other unique features. Dillard’s recently added 80,000 square feet to its facility, and a new freestanding Circuit City opened on the grounds in 2008.

The mall serves as the epicenter of an expansive retail zone full of tempting options. Beaumont-based Conn’s has a large store in the area and joins the familiar names of Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us, Lowe’s, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Gander Mountain, Home Depot, Academy Sporting Goods, Hobby Lobby, Pier One, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and Shoe Carnival. The big box stores are interspersed with smaller shops specializing in imports, specialty kitchen shops, office supplies, and telephone service companies. Take a load off and catch a movie at the 12-screen Hollywood Theaters multiplex. Want to dress like a Texan? Cavender’s, a huge western wear superstore, is just up the service road.

Great shopping is not limited to the mall area. From Gateway Center to The Colonnade and Oaks Centers, Beaumont offers the finest and most up-to-date market choices available. Fine jewelry and trendy fashions vie for attention with specialty gift shops and quaint, exclusive boutiques.

Shopping in Beaumont offers options in style and taste to fit anyone’s wants – the choices are yours. Best of all, you won’t have to endure bumper-to-bumper traffic to get the variety and value you’d find in a larger city.

Beaumont stands apart as a community that welcomes transplants from around the nation and the world, especially veterans. Beaumont was a military-friendly city even before it was first designated a United States military post in 1917. Today, the Port of Beaumont is home to the 842nd Transportation Battalion and supplies 49 percent of military cargo to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. The relationship results in strong support of active military and veterans. Beaumont is also home to a regional Veterans Administration outpatient clinic, a testament to how our area never forgets those who serve (See Rich with Caring on page 38).

Additionally, Beaumont prides itself on being welcoming and accommodating to its seniors. The warm climate, health care options, and multiple first-class retirement facilities like Calder Woods, Collier Park, Dowlen Oaks, Hotel Beaumont and The Villas of Sunnyside make it an ideal retirement destination for independent seniors and those with special needs. The presence of local industry and job availability makes it easy for individuals to pursue their careers while staying close to retired family members requiring extra care.

No matter who you are, diverse and prosperous Beaumont is RICH with reasons to live here and is eager to welcome you home.

Rich with Excitement
Friends and family get together in Beaumont

Whether you crave the electricity of Friday night lights, the heat of Saturdays on the town, or just a relaxing Sunday with family and friends, Beaumont has what you’re looking for.

Some of the nation’s best high school football is played in the Beaumont area, and joining the 10,000-plus that attend any of the weekly marquee rivalry games is a sure way to jumpstart any weekend. Thanks to the recently approved Beaumont Independent School District bond proposal, the community will soon be gathering in a beautiful 10,400-seat athletic complex (See Rich with Outstanding Schools on page 34).

Beaumont’s Ford Park complex features Ford Amphitheater, the state’s largest outdoor amphitheater, an 8,000-seat arena that has hosted some of music’s biggest stars as well as ice hockey, rodeo, and professional basketball. Beginning in 2008-09, Ford Arena will be home to the Southeast Texas Mustangs of the American Basketball Association. Ford Park is also site of the annual Southeast Texas State Fair, whose exhibits and attractions regularly draw more than 25,000 people a day to the midway during its October run. Elsewhere on the grounds, Ford Fields feature 12 championship-caliber fast pitch softball/youth baseball fields with hard covered stands and all-weather infields.

Great restaurants and nightclubs abound in Beaumont. From metropolitan menus to home cooking, the city takes pride in its tremendous variety of restaurants. In fact, the greater Beaumont area has 256 restaurants that offer original menus, family dining, and an array of ethnic dishes to residents and the million neighbors who depend on Beaumont for dining and entertainment.

Madison’s on Dowlen features top-notch live music four nights a week (five if you count their popular karaoke night!), and their kitchen features great food for lunch and dinner. Wine connoisseurs love to pop a cork in Beaumont’s own winery, D’vine Wine, a popular happy hour destination on the West End. National chain Jason’s Deli built their first sandwich in Beaumont, and their multiple locations are packed every lunch hour. For dinner, Willy Ray’s BBQ offers world-famous and authentic Southeast Texas barbecue. Brian’s 797, tucked away in the Historic District off of Calder Street, is the perfect destination for continental cuisine or a romantic special occasion.

Featuring the historic Jefferson County Courthouse and more than a dozen museums, visitors and residents alike will find a boatload of entertainment venues and restaurants in and around the Downtown District. The recently-refurbished Jefferson and Julie Rogers Theaters have various musical, theatrical and cinematic offerings. The best and the brightest of Lamar University’s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance present the annual Lamarissimo! showcase, featuring ensemble and solo performances from outstanding student and faculty artists.

Want more music? In the evenings, cool sounds of live jazz from Suga’s Deep South Cuisine float above the streets of downtown and mix with everything from country to hip-hop pulsing from the young and energetic Crockett Street Entertainment District.

Downtown is where Beaumont comes together year round. Thousands congregate on Riverfront Park to celebrate the Fourth of July, August features an annual Jazz Fest, colorful floats and holiday music fill the streets every December for the annual Beaumont Holiday Parade, and each spring Mardi Gras “Krewes” board elaborate floats and don intricate costumes to throw beads as the community joins together for this favorite holiday.

With all the energy in downtown, more and more people are choosing to make their homes there. Rick Clark Development has built Cathedral Square – a collection of metropolitan lofts, townhouses, and retail space. The locations are in such high demand that the project is planning expansion into two adjacent city blocks.

The First City Bank Building, which sat vacant for 15 years, is now leased to capacity. Investor Ted Moor’s vision of restoring this centrally-located building and parking garage even enticed U.S. Congressman Ted Poe to move his offices into the building.

Investor Tom Flanagan, whose award-winning redevelopment of Beaumont’s Crockett Street Entertainment District and Stedman Building set the standard in private ventures downtown, has purchased additional downtown properties and is planning additional redevelopment in the landmark San Jacinto Building with its famous clock tower.

With an emphasis on redesigning streets for people, pedestrians on downtown’s new brick sidewalks and welcoming streets may stop in one of the numerous downtown parks to gaze at the beautiful art-deco skyline.

Rich with Downtown Redevelopment
Renaissance breathes life into city's soul

There’s excitement downtown, and more is on the way. Whether to work, play or return home, each day 30,000 people make their way into downtown Beaumont. In a joint effort between the city, the Port of Beaumont, and private investors, downtown is in the midst of a monumental renaissance, making it a destination for residents and visitors alike. Private investments downtown have totaled over $80 million in the last five years, and an additional $15-20 billion is on its way into the local economy. Now, work is set to begin on an extraordinary redevelopment project that will add further value and excitement to the historic and vibrant district that is the civic and cultural soul of the city.

A new project is being designed that includes a state-of-the-art event center to replace the aging but still popular Harvest Club and a new park site with a six-acre great lawn. A proposed waterway would connect the new Harvest Club to Pearl Street or the Crockett Street Entertainment Complex and may be finished as early as 2011.

The project is an idea that Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames has watched grow and helped develop since she joined the City Council 14 years ago. “This project will truly enhance the quality of life for our citizens, she says, “In business we need to create value, and this water-based redevelopment will not only be a shining center of our city, it will create value downtown.”

The new Harvest Club is envisioned as expansive, with a large kitchen and two stages that could play to both an inside audience, or a crowd assembled outdoors on the great lawn. Moreover, in an effort to ensure the building is green and remains viable for at least 50 years, the center will be outfitted with solar panels and an innovative cooling method using the natural effects of the water nearby.

“The event center is the real focal point of this community,” said Scott Slaney, principal architect of SWA Group, the world-renowned design firm who is eager to add Beaumont to its international portfolio of successes, “Downtown Beaumont has beautiful bones – it is pedestrian-friendly and has amazing architecture.”

When completed, well-lit walkways lined with trees will connect the project’s separate but independent phases, encouraging people to leave the vehicle parked and stroll through an area reserved for restaurants and retail space as they make their way to any number of events and attractions possible on the downtown strip.

“The future of Beaumont is downtown,” says Lenny Caballero, project coordinator for the City of Beaumont, “The project will supply one of several anchors to the district, creating a nucleus of open space and redevelopment activity. Several catalyst projects like the Calder Street Project – that provide a key access point to the West End – will increase economic growth and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to downtown by providing an open space framework for surrounding mixed-use development.”

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