First look inside McAllen’s downtown revitalization ideas, like new business taxes

A little over a year ago, the city of McAllen and downtown entertainment businesses clashed over how to balance municipal zoning enforcement, rowdy crowds, and underage drinking on public streets. 

Businesses saw city leaders take court action, revoke operating permits, and even shut off utilities for local storefronts in the entertainment district last year. 

Now McAllen city commissioners are reviewing draft recommendations from an outside consultant on how to foster a healthier public-private partnership for downtown revitalization. 

The first draft of the new plan was shared with city commissioners on Monday and was conducted by Mend Collaborative, an urban planning business with offices in Minneapolis, Austin and Richmond, Virginia. Nearly 450 people responded to the online survey about the plan, including an online mapping comment section.