EyeOnGovernment

Join us on

Survey Participant Comments

I suspect the project would be successful to some extent, but to that same extent it would likely take away some business from existing facilities that take on similar business.

I do not like the idea of a convention center. There are not enough attractions here to keep and sustain continuous returns. I am taking about shops, tourist attractions etc. As a volunter at the Museum of Western Art, most of the people who visit are from out of town and the biggest attraction here is the countryside.

Why not use existing facilities here in Kerrville that are already built. We already have places for public and private use in a rental capacity that benefit our community. If a convention center were warranted why have tax payer's money fund this decision have the people who want this center built, pay for it. I don't want it and don't want to pay for another persons poor business decisions.

A downtown convention center makes no sense at this time. The originators of the idea have it backwards: Instead of spurring the establishment of new restaurants, shops, etc., a convention center will likely fail because we DON'T HAVE restaurants, shops, etc. to attract tourists and conventions. Right now we have very little to attract a robust convention business (except the great restaurants and shops in Fredericksburg, which would be the beneficiaries of any tourists a Kerrville convention center might attract). The expensive feasibility study seemed worthless to me because it did not compare apples to oranges...the cities it used for comparison to Kerrville all had desirable natural or manmade attractions to entice convention goers. Other than our beautiful surroundings, we have very little to offer at this time. To me, the only type of convention center that would work here is one that is situated in our beautiful hills, with plenty of room for parking, at least one excellent restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools, gift shops, spa facilities, hiking trails, etc. Nature and our beautiful scenery are our greatest assets, and these are what would attract people to a Kerrville Convention Center. Over time, the growing recognition and popularity of such a center in beautiful Kerrville would indeed attract new businesses and restaurants to our area.

"Build it and they will come." This worked in the movie, "Field of Dreams", a wonderful fantasy film, but unlike the movie the City of Kerrville cannot offer baseball games played by the beloved spirits of long, gone baseball heroes. Kerrville has neither major historical/ educational sites such as the Nimitz Museum, nor does it have blocks and blocks of old German architecture and design as found in Fredericksburg and Boerne. Some of the restaurants are okay, but for a special celebration or in an effort to impress someone of great importance, I personally would make the drive to San Antonio or, I'd prepare the meal myself. There is really great shopping in Kerr County, but you need to have a road map, a vehicle and several hours in order to scout out the stores located in Kerrville, Ingram and Center Point. If you limit your shopping to "downtown Kerrville", it can be done in short order if you have $$$$$. (I am personally biased on the issue of shopping. I have more important things to do than waste time and money on things not needed and not appreciated when given as gifts.) I guess what I'm trying to say is - Kerrville has the Guadalupe River and other natural sites which are draws to the area. But the City of Kerrville needs to quit spending money on studies/evaluations, etc., in order to make it something it isn't and won't ever be. It needs to focus on the needs of its taxpayers and citizens and the needs of potential taxpayers. What the Town and County Fathers truly need is to focus on putting together a package, jointly, that will entice big business or industry to the area which will, in effect, lessen the tax burden on residential homeowners. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that will ever work. We desperately need affordable housing, etc., for employees of such companies. We have little to offer and the City of Kerrville and Kerr County will never see eye to eye on such a package as long as the City tries to maintain dominance and control (particularly over that which is not in their jurisdiction). Someone needs to tell the good ole boys on Council that this is Kerrrrrville, Texxxxasss, it ain't New York City. And, truth be known, there's a faction of taxpayer's who don't want big companies or industry in this area and will fight tooth and nail to keep them out. A Convention Center in Kerrville????? Only in your dreams.

Convention centers are designed to loose money. The most successful ones are located immediately next to a hotel, and close to airlines and have significant draws for shopping, dining, sight seeing. At best one may see the majority of the operating expenses covered, but never make money or pay any debt service. They require an increase in bed tax and must have highly discounted rooms. We have two hotels with convention facilities, If they warrant expansion, let private enterprise do it. If they do not, i.e. the deal isn't bankable, then the taxpayers do not need to get stuck with a looser project like San Marcos has.

I do not believe Kerrville could or should support a convention center for the following reasons: !. The city does not have the capacity to handle additional traffic in the downtown area. 2. If the city where to build this facility, it would be in competition with local business. 3. The city does not have anything to offer conventioneers families or off hour entertainment to keep the money here. 4. The type of employment that would be gained would be low paying and not be of any real value to the local population.

Kerrville needs the tax revenues the convention center would bring. The conventions would draw much needed tourism and revenues to Kerrville. The community would get the much needed new restaurants, shopping, and specialty stores we are missing. The new tax revenues would help Kerrville fund the much needed waste water and utility upgrades necessary to support growth in our community.

A Kerrville Convention Center is long overdue; however, putting this convention center downtown would limit the potential for economic stimulus and potential development due to the restrictions building this in the downtown area. An alternate site or location would provide more opportunity for growth and other retail establishments to finally come to Kerrville. My family along with a great deal of the community drive 70 miles north to San Antonio to eat and shop. I feel this convention center could be the nucleus of something big if at another location than downtown.

I have always supported a convention center here; it is a natural economic driver given our economic base. While it might be nice to locate it downtown, the street situation prohibits that. There is no way our current streets could handle that level of additional traffic. The center needs to be located where there is ample parking and easy ingress and egress - i.e., out near the Interstate. Downtown will still reap the benefits of several thousand more visitors per year.

Could be paid for completely with the CURRENT 4b tax revenue stream. downtown is too congested.

Since we have no "smokestack" industries, it has become quite evident that tourism and summer camps are where our main focus needs to be and enhance and build on that. i do not believe that our tax dollars should be going into this at this time as we have too many other pressing needs, i.e., streets, ample water supply, public transportation just to name a few.

It has been my experience that when a project is a known loser, the taxpayers will be told it is good for them so they should pay for it. The initial cost is always more than stated and the operating losses are never mentioned. If a convention center is a winner, private investors will build it. Economic impact is smoke and mirrors. An Old Anti-Government Fighter.

The down town area is a bottleneck. It cannot handle additional traffic surges conventions would bring. If our current convention offerings aren't booked up, what justifies the expense and traffic nightmares in building another one?

I think a Convention Center would benefit Kerrville. I think Kerrville needs a larger facility to accommodate larger meetings or conventions. The facilities mentioned above are great for smaller groups, but I think Kerrville has lost out on larger groups coming here because we did not have the facilities to house them. With larger groups comes the more need for hotels/motels and restaurants.