Currently, the Downtown Management District is actively working to promote the downtown area, increase leisure activities, create living space and beautify the district.

The DMD has created this website in order to expand the visibility of Downtown Corpus Christi beyond its geographic borders. One marketing method via the Internet targets people who are searching for places to visit in Texas or Corpus Christi through effective search engine ranking methods. In addition, our efforts of letting the community know that this site is here as a resource for information and calendar events will create a site that is visited and valued.

Litter Critter is keeping our sidewalks and gutters clean and free of debris build up. Critter made his debut the first of April 2005, and has been working hard ever since. In addition to the $30,000 ATLV, the DMD hired a full-time operator and groundskeeper. As a result, the sidewalks of Downtown and the landscaping have a much more colorful and cleaner appearance. In this photo you see Councilman Rex Kinnison and Mayor Henry Garrett christening Critter.

The DMD along with Work-Force 1 completed a program for an educational and artistic endeavor for Downtown in summer 2005. We had 15 students come Downtown every weekday for 6-weeks at which time they went through an educational process learning about the rich culture and history of this region. Subsequently, they worked with teachers and create story-boards which they will then converted into artwork. The artwork was juried and the 12 winning pieces were painted on the 12 remaining traffic control boxes in Downtown. To see other traffic control boxes in this project click hereand scroll down to Traffic Control Boxes.

A similar program was implemented 4 years previously when the students painted 5 traffic control boxes. The program was tremendously successful.

New ambiance was added to the main drag of Downtown. A six block length of Chaparral Street, punctuated by intersections bordered with oak trees, are now illuminated every night of the year. At the end of 2002, the DMD delivered electricity to each of the 23 oak trees. The branches are decorated with white lights and powered to bring additional lighting to the intersections,and most of all to add excitement and ambiance to the thoroughfare.

The coolest thing about the blistering summer of 2004 was the life-sized, brightly colored pods of dolphins swimming the streets of Downtown Corpus Christi sending waves of delight throughout the commuity. We embarked on one of the most exciting, creative, community oriented public art projects that Corpus Chriti has ever seen. Chicago, Houston and San Antonio can have their cows, Cincinnati their pigs, and New Orleans their fish, because now Corpus Christi "Dances with Dolphins."

Imagine 25 brightly colored dolphins dotting the downtown sidewalks and medians of Shorline Blvd. These whismically designed, life-size, fiberglass dolphins were exhibited beginning April 2004. Artists were invited to create designs for the dolphins and sponsors chose which one(s) they wanted to underwrite. At the end of the exhibition, dolphins were sold at a public auction gala, with proceeds benefiting local charities.

We experienced many sad faces as dolphins were removed from their temporary homes and prepared for auction. May 20, 2005, was a sad day for many, but a exuberent day for others - those who were the lucky ones who won their dolphin for keeps and for a price.

Ten of the dolphins were pre-purchased by their original sponsors and 15 went to the auction block. The event, FIN-ale, netted approximately $50,000 for Art for All, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization that was created for the purpose of developing simular public art projects and to purchase public art in the future.

The DMD has refurbished the 23 flower-beds at the 6 intersections of Chaparral Street. The beds were cleaned out and fresh landscaping soil with additives replaced the original soil. All beds have existing oaks trees. The new plants, along with ground cover add a fresh and attractive face to the main street of Downtown. Adjacent to these flower-beds are concrete benches lined with D'Hanis tile.