d.
Methodology & Approach
Based on the Gateway Team’s understanding of Downtown Laredo’s context and similar
downtown planning projects we have undertaken in Duncanville, McKinney and
Owensboro, we recommend using a project steering committee to provide overall
guidance throughout the process with smaller groups to work through more detailed
issues. With City Staff, we would identify key stakeholders early in the process and hold
focus/stakeholder group meetings to gather as much information up front on the issues
affecting downtown. This will, together with background data, help us identify the key
considerations and challenges going into a design workshop. Background data collection
will include a thorough assessment of existing conditions including land use, building
condition, River Vega, parking, local and regional access, historic resources,
transportation, utility infrastructure, and existing zoning regulations.
The design workshop will be used to create a physical master plan for downtown Laredo
by integrating stakeholder input, background assessment, prior planning efforts, and
preliminary assessment of the real estate market. During the workshop, structured public
participation opportunities will provide the design team with input and feedback
contemporaneously. The resulting physical master plan will combine land use, urban
design, civic spaces, linkages, and key destinations and neighborhoods within and around
downtown.
This physical master plan will provide the framework for detailed recommendations on
parking, linkages to and from downtown and adjacent neighborhoods, civic space design,
infrastructure improvements, and regulatory changes including design standards. In
addition, the physical master plan will help identify key public and private catalyst
projects needed to jump start downtown redevelopment. Estimates of probable costs for
public infrastructure, including parking will then help identify feasible financial options
for funding them.
A final validation presentation will summarize the physical master plan, resulting
recommendations, catalyst projects, and funding options to the community, steering
committee, and elected officials. Following this public validation and the plan’s formal
adoption, actual implementation actions of specific recommendations will be undertaken.
This would include changes to zoning and design standards, implementation of a parking
strategy, and funding options such as TIF’s or PID’s for downtown.
Some special considerations are warranted based on our understanding of Downtown
Laredo’s unique context. Specifically, bridge access improvements need to be carefully
planned in order to accommodate the nearby sister-city Nuevo Laredo; a city that
contains nearly three times the population of Laredo. Many of the citizens of Nuevo
Laredo traverse into Laredo on a daily basis to work within the United States. These
citizens need an efficient bridge crossing system that will allow for expedient access
without impacting the downtown operations. Many Mexican citizens come into the
United States on weekends and holidays to visit and shop in various locations within
south Texas. These citizens would not have to travel far if the downtown area were
redeveloped into a more modern and attractive place with retail and entertainment.
As with any historic city, there are numerous significant landmarks of American and
Mexican history within the downtown area of Laredo. These landmarks need to be
magnified and cultivated in order to maintain the uniqueness of culture and character
within the city of Laredo.
Potential utility issues within the downtown area include the need to properly maintain
and regulate sewer line usage, addressing overhead utility overlaps at intersections,
improving upon the existing storm sewer lines, locating and protecting all gas lines, and
possibly implementing new fiber optic lines for better traffic signal synchronization and
communication.
With the gang-related violence occurring just across the bridge in Nuevo Laredo, it is
extremely important to consider increasing the police presence of the downtown area. If
there ever is a “spill-over” affect of this hostility into the United States, the first area to be
impacted would be the downtown area. Hence there is a need to take a proactive
approach rather than a reactive approach to protect the downtown area.
e.
Scope of Work, Deliverables, and Schedule
Based on our understanding of the project and approach, we propose the
following tasks, deliverables, and schedule:
Task
1. Preliminary Assessment: A
preliminary assessment of existing
built environment, infrastructure/
utility capacity, transportation
network, and market conditions.
2. Steering Committee: At the same
time a stakeholder steering committee
will be established and convened on a
regular basis to transition from the
visioning to implementation so that
the 14 key components can be
effectively considered.
3. Stakeholder Interviews: From the
initial assessment, outreach to major
property owners and businesses will
commence announcing the initiative
and setting initial meetings of
stakeholders to secure early buy-in
and to relate the 14 key components of
the plan across linked issues.
Deliverables
 Preliminary assessment
report of current
conditions as inputs to
Master Plan




4. Regulatory Context: A full

assessment of the planning and zoning
regulations, design, policy and taxing
structure environment shall be
undertaken to assess the full potential
of utilizing a form-based environment
needed to create value capture through
tax incentives and other mechanisms
such as Tax Increment Financing; in
parallel, the Capital Improvement
Program will be assessed, including
long term financing capacity and any
major infrastructure gaps under the
current conditions.
5. Market Analysis: Developed as a

capacity analysis in terms of aggregate
potential in downtown by uses and
evolving market opportunities, an
initial trends market analysis and
Schedule
Month 1-2
Month 1
Work with city staff to
establish a steering
committee agenda and
meeting schedule.
Assist city staff in
facilitating steering
committee discussions.
Work with city staff and Month 2
steering committee to
identify key stakeholder
groups and schedule
meetings.
Conduct stakeholder
meetings and summarize
input to inform the
master plan.
Month 2-3
Summarize regulatory
and public financing
assessment to inform the
master plan process
Develop a market
analysis report that
identifies the potential
for downtown land uses.
Month 3
development scenario will be
determined.
6. Railroad Strategy: An assessment of
railroad conflicts, border crossing
impacts (vehicular and pedestrian),
existing circulation studies, parking,
connectivity and pedestrian
environments will be undertaken in
context of critical linkages, current
destinations, future development
opportunities
7. Downtown Housing: An assessment
of current downtown housing
environments, current liabilities and
desirability for housing to determine
realistic downtown housing goals; key
catalytic housing opportunities and
tools and incentives for housing
including public/private partnerships.
8. Convention Center & Civic
Buildings: An assessment of a
downtown convention center and
other key existing or potential future
civic buildings will be undertaken in
context of demand, capacity,
development impacts, design
considerations, financing options and
public-private partnership potential.
9. Interim Worksession:
A City
Council Worksession will be held to
receive feedback on the initial
conclusion drawn from the data
collection and analysis
10. Community Charrette:
Upon
completion of the initial assessment
tasks and feedback from the City
Council Worksession, a community
charrette will be held to develop a
refined vision for downtown reflected
in a building-scale master plan; the
results of the community charrette will
be used to develop the implementation
initiative for downtown

Start to develop a
critical path plan and
framework to work with
TxDOT, US Border
Patrol, and Union
Pacific railroad on
critical linkage issues
pertaining to downtown.
Month 2-4

Develop a preliminary
assessment of
downtown housing
opportunities and issues.
Month 3-4

Assessment
to
be Month 3-4
included in the market
analysis report from
Task 5

Preliminary report
City Council

Conduct a Community Month 5
Charrette to create a
physical master plan for
downtown and gather
community
and
stakeholder
feedback
during the Charrette.
Summarize
Charrette
outcomes and refine
master plan based on
community input.
Preliminary assessment Month 6
of fiscal impact and

11. Fiscal Impact and Financing: Based 
on the building scale master plan, a
to Month 4
fiscal impact analysis will compare
trends development to redevelopment
growth under the initiative, generating
tax incentive capacity for downtown;
the resulting delta of increased value
net of cost of service under the
respective predicted futures will be
used to support recommendations for
initial catalytic projects.
12. Form-Based Framework: Utilizing
the Master Plan and assessment of the
existing regulatory environment, a
form-based code framework will be
crafted to implement the downtown
vision through a market-based
regulatory environment that increases
value capture potential.
13. Staff Worksession:
A staff
worksession will be held to review the
form-based framework and value
capture strategy.
14. Integrated
Implementation:
Additional implementation elements
will be finalized in terms of economic
development,
comprehensive
downtown transportation strategy,
neighborhood
linkages,
CIP,
convention center, etc.; the elements
will be folded into a comprehensive
implementation
plan
including
refinement
of
a
downtown
management structure.
15. Council worksession: A council
worksession and public meeting will
be held to receive feedback on draft
implementation plan and form-based
code framework.
16. Develop Form-Based Code: Develop
a draft form-based code based on
council and community approved
framework
financing
including
recommendations
for
public-private
partnerships and catalyst
projects

Develop a framework Month 6-7
for a form-based code to
implement the master
plan
including
identifying
character
zones
and
major
defining features.

Revise form-based code Month 7
framework based on
staff input.

Develop
draft Month 7-8
Implementation
Plan
encompassing all critical
elements.

Revise plans based on Month 8
Council and public input
received.

Develop detailed form- Month 9
based code standards
including a regulating
plan and development,
design, and historic
preservation standards
for different downtown
character zones.
Final master plan report Month 10-11
17. Formal Adoption and Approval: 
Revise Master Plan, Implementation
plan, and Form-based code and
support final approval and adoption.
and form-based code