Victoria Area Developments

[ChannelTwoNews]

Wanted to start a thread for the things that are happening in this area, just southwest of Houston.

I spent a fair amount of time there growing up. One of my aunts had a farm in Jackson County between Edna and Inez not too far off 59 and we would often take day trips to Victoria for some fun. Also spent time around Hallettsville as we had relatives there and visited on occasion. Full of history and a great jumping off point to the rest of South Texas.

 

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/premium/city-council-approves-cultural-district-expansion-library-master-plan/article_5371f706-d334-11ed-aadf-633756052983.html

"The Victoria City Council approved the expansion of its cultural district and the library’s new master plan Tuesday evening.

The city established its cultural district last year but held off applying to the Texas Commission on the Arts to recognize it to improve the application.

“We needed to establish the district first,” Economic Development Director Danielle Williams said.

The commission recommended expansion from a 20-block area to a 36-block site to enhance the application and account for the substantial growth within the region, said Kate Garcia, Victoria Main Street manager.

The original 20-block area included the Leo J. Welder Center, Mitchell School, Memorial Square and the Nave Museum.

The expanded area adds the Five Points Museum of the Contemporary Arts, the South Texas Ballet Academy, a proposed maker space inside 120 Main Place, the intersection of Santa Rosa and Main Street and Nazareth Covent, which is a future museum site."

 

 

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/business/green-energy-projects-line-up-to-join-victoria-industrial-park/article_75ddf616-b6db-11ed-88c7-135e302a5d3d.html

 

"The Victoria County Navigation District, which runs the Port of Victoria, is negotiating lease agreements with a green ammonia maker and a company seeking to produce and store solar energy through new methods. Both businesses would lease land located within the Port’s Texas Logistics Center. "

 

 

Nearby in Cuero, The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is looking to expand it's existing space into a campus with a pocket park, roundabout and additional galleries and exhibition space in several adjacent structures.

 

https://chisholmtrailmuseum.org/expansion-plan/

 

 

 

 

 

[kennyc05]

5 hours ago, ChannelTwoNews said:

Wanted to start a thread for the things that are happening in this area, just southwest of Houston.

I spent a fair amount of time there growing up. One of my aunts had a farm in Jackson County between Edna and Inez not too far off 59 and we would often take day trips to Victoria for some fun. Also spent time around Hallettsville as we had relatives there and visited on occasion. Full of history and a great jumping off point to the rest of South Texas.

 

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/premium/city-council-approves-cultural-district-expansion-library-master-plan/article_5371f706-d334-11ed-aadf-633756052983.html

"The Victoria City Council approved the expansion of its cultural district and the library’s new master plan Tuesday evening.

The city established its cultural district last year but held off applying to the Texas Commission on the Arts to recognize it to improve the application.

“We needed to establish the district first,” Economic Development Director Danielle Williams said.

The commission recommended expansion from a 20-block area to a 36-block site to enhance the application and account for the substantial growth within the region, said Kate Garcia, Victoria Main Street manager.

The original 20-block area included the Leo J. Welder Center, Mitchell School, Memorial Square and the Nave Museum.

The expanded area adds the Five Points Museum of the Contemporary Arts, the South Texas Ballet Academy, a proposed maker space inside 120 Main Place, the intersection of Santa Rosa and Main Street and Nazareth Covent, which is a future museum site."

 

 

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/business/green-energy-projects-line-up-to-join-victoria-industrial-park/article_75ddf616-b6db-11ed-88c7-135e302a5d3d.html

 

"The Victoria County Navigation District, which runs the Port of Victoria, is negotiating lease agreements with a green ammonia maker and a company seeking to produce and store solar energy through new methods. Both businesses would lease land located within the Port’s Texas Logistics Center. "

 

 

Nearby in Cuero, The Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum is looking to expand it's existing space into a campus with a pocket park, roundabout and additional galleries and exhibition space in several adjacent structures.

 

https://chisholmtrailmuseum.org/expansion-plan/

 

 

 

 

 

It's crazy to see a Victoria thread here .

I grew up in Jackson County Vanderbilt.

Edited April 7, 2023 by kennyc05

[editor]

Glad to see a bit of Victoria here.  I'm headed down that way in a few weeks, and might stop by the Trail museum.

[kennyc05]

On 4/12/2023 at 2:12 AM, editor said:

Glad to see a bit of Victoria here.  I'm headed down that way in a few weeks, and might stop by the Trail museum.

Nice I've never been.

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/education/victoria-college-building-bond-discussed-ahead-of-election/article_4e72a8c8-d973-11ed-b56d-dfc907333221.html

 

" The fate of a $10-million bond for a new Victoria College building lies with voters in Victoria County.

During a Monday night forum on the campus of the University of Houston-Victoria, Victoria College officials said the bond for the Student Success Center directly supports its student body, 40% of whom are enrolled in workforce training and continuing education.

The proposed three-story facility would include a new library, tutoring center and testing center. An admissions office and advising center would also be housed in the new building.

Victoria College has already raised $26.5 million for the project from gifts, grants and institutional funds, campus officials said."

 

[ChannelTwoNews]

The Old Nazareth Convent, which is attached to St. Mary's in Downtown was purchased by the church several years ago - after 5 years of being on the market.

San Antonio based Fisher Heck Architects is developing the master plan for the renovation. There has been talk of converting the space into areas for the parish and it's functions as well as a museum showcasing the impact of the faith in the region. I could definitely see the latter as a component in a regional history attraction or tour as the Diocese already owns the Presidio la Bahia just down the road in Goliad and there is both a history museum and chapel that is still used for masses on the weekends.

Edited May 3, 2023 by ChannelTwoNews
links

[ChannelTwoNews]

Genuinely interested in following the developments on this property. About 1350 acres of land for sale in Calhoun County along Powderhorn Lake with a mile of frontage on the lake itself. South of Port Lavaca and west of Port O'Connor. Close to the Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area and future Powderhorn State Park. 

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/environment/texas-real-estate-firm-offering-ranch-with-never-ending-opportunities/article_d78f3b24-dd53-11ed-8b35-3bc0f3a9d8c3.html

I have a bit of a soft spot for this area. There are a few housing developments here and there, but nothing huge. It's still mostly rural seaside Texas there. Have spent a fair amount of time at the county parks just east at Magnolia Beach and a little further down in Indianola over the years. Great little beachfront communities with super friendly people. Never tons of tourists - mostly locals. Great place to unwind and get a bit of peace.

 

[ChannelTwoNews]

On 4/14/2023 at 7:37 AM, ChannelTwoNews said:

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/education/victoria-college-building-bond-discussed-ahead-of-election/article_4e72a8c8-d973-11ed-b56d-dfc907333221.html

 

" The fate of a $10-million bond for a new Victoria College building lies with voters in Victoria County.

During a Monday night forum on the campus of the University of Houston-Victoria, Victoria College officials said the bond for the Student Success Center directly supports its student body, 40% of whom are enrolled in workforce training and continuing education.

The proposed three-story facility would include a new library, tutoring center and testing center. An admissions office and advising center would also be housed in the new building.

Victoria College has already raised $26.5 million for the project from gifts, grants and institutional funds, campus officials said."

 

Bond Passed. Construction should begin later in the year and be complete by 2025.

https://www.crossroadstoday.com/news/victoria-college-bond-approved/article_1245bba2-ec87-11ed-b3e6-6f35ca7a2ba4.html

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/premium/code-name-pellet-dow-plans-small-nuclear-reactors-at-seadrift-plant-using-new-tech/article_c5ec6716-f009-11ed-95fe-93255290bb74.html

"Dow said on Thursday it will team with a Maryland company to build four small, modular nuclear reactors at its Seadrift plant, about 40 miles south of Victoria, using a technology hailed as a rising star in the industry by federal regulators.

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by editor
Edited due to copyright. Remember to summarize and link. Don't copy and paste.

[hindesky]

https://news.uhv.edu/release.aspx?id=9464

[ChannelTwoNews]

On 4/12/2023 at 4:12 AM, editor said:

Glad to see a bit of Victoria here.  I'm headed down that way in a few weeks, and might stop by the Trail museum.

If you took the trip - how did it go?

I actually spent a couple of days down there last week and was glad I did. Very underrated part of the state. It was an easy drive up from Corpus Christi, so there was ample time to get a number of things in. We tried to minimize the time outdoors due to the heat.

A few of the things on my itinerary were...

-Goliad State Park and the Mission Espiritu Santo: I know I had been here before but I don't recall if I had been able to get into the mission itself or anything else. The ranger on duty was exceptionally helpful and since it wasn't too busy at the time of the visit - it was basically like having a private tour. I invested in the Texas State Parks Pass during this trip and used it as much as I could. Reasonably certain that it paid for itself between the entry fees and the items from the various gift shops.

I still want to go to the Presidio La Bahia just down the road.

-Museum of the Coastal Bend at Victoria College: FREE - but donations accepted. Good venue with a broad overview of regional history - with emphasis given to the cattle drive / Chisholm Trail, native American settlements and a great bit of information on the LaSalle shipwreck and recovery. Was genuinely impressed that they mentioned having an open classroom that had a number of age-appropriate activities for my 5 year old that kept her engaged. They're finishing up an expansion that should add room for the Chisolm Trail element soon.

-Texas Zoo: If you take it for what it is -  a small community showcase of native animals - then it should be more than enjoyable. You can easily be done with it in about a half-hour or 45 minutes. Some of the exhibits may need some aesthetic help, but honestly I don't blame most of the animals for staying in the shade or out of sight for the time I was there.  That said, the Zoo has always been a great place for birds and I've always enjoyed their aviary. The peacocks have extremely vibrant colors and march around the grounds like they own the place. They were fairly busy in relative terms, with a couple of summer camps ongoing at the time, so it was cool to see their educational component in action.

-Beaches: I actually don't mind some of the somewhat more "rural" beaches that Calhoun County parks operate around Magnolia Beach and Indianola. Magnolia Beach was not super crowded when I went to visit with my family in the late afternoon/early evening hours that we went. Great for finding shells and easy to drive on. Port Lavaca has Lighthouse Beach which is a more traditional beach setup with a number of cabanas to get some shade beneath. It may look like there's a charge to get in with the small entrance building, but there's not. Loads of families there. Splashpad was also busy. My 5 year old loved the playground as well.

Food-wise... Honestly, I didn't do a ton of "local" things necessarily. I always use Victoria as an excuse for Wienerschnitzel on my visits down that way and (GASP) the one on John Stockbauer & Magnolia didn't have any issues for once! So that's good.

The two local spots I could recommend are

-Mumphord's Place: Fanstastic old-school BBQ joint on Juan Linn just outside downtown. We met one of the owners at the Dairy Queen on South 87 a few days before as we were passing through on the way to Corpus and he invited us in when we got back to town. So glad we took him up on that because the meats (especially the brisket) were absolutely perfect - the rub, the smoke - all of it were top notch. The sauce was sweet, but it worked with the rub so well. The constant lines out the door tell the story as well. Top of the list if I want BBQ down there in the future.

-Kountry Bakery: Branch of the Hallettsville bakery on North 87 near the Loop. I explicitly woke up at 5 AM to get kolaches. And gas. But mostly kolaches. Going that early made sure I was effectively the first customer and had my pick of the store. The dough and fillings are just fine. I know some people are pickier about additions to the top like glazes or sugar or things like that, and theirs is more of a drizzle/glaze to the top but it's not super intrusive. Appreciate that they had an option for dewberry as well since it's not super common and they have frozen dewberry pies available as well.

Anyway - not to completely divert the thread - but I figured I'd put my observations out on this one rather than starting a new one. I did get to pass through Cuero and it looked like they were coming along with their Chisholm Trail museum campus. Lots of historic potential there in the downtown area as well. That's about the only regret I have in terms of specific places that I didn't get to check out.

[Pleak]

Stayed at Goliad SP several times over the years.   If you want to go camping and are late getting a reservation - this SP usually has open slots even the week before.  +  if you have a RV/trailer - a lot of times the FHU's are available.

The Presidio La Bahia is just a short walk from the state park.      And right across the street from the Presidio is General Zaragoza's birthplace.     You can thank him there for Cinco de Mayo.  (Drink a Modelo in his honor).

Used to have another state park down there in Edna.    (Texana).  It got cut as a state park maybe 10 years ago during a state budget cutting session.   (it was rented from the County I think. )   It has now been incorporated into the County park (can't remember the name) that was on the other side of the highway - and the whole area is a nice place for camping/fishing/equestrian weekend.

We went to the zoo in Victoria one weekend when we were camping there - it was nice for it's size and inexpensive - but like you said - very hot so animals were taking it easy.

 

 

 

[Pleak]

On 5/8/2023 at 8:13 AM, ChannelTwoNews said:

Genuinely interested in following the developments on this property. About 1350 acres of land for sale in Calhoun County along Powderhorn Lake with a mile of frontage on the lake itself. South of Port Lavaca and west of Port O'Connor. Close to the Powderhorn Wildlife Management Area and future Powderhorn State Park. 

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/environment/texas-real-estate-firm-offering-ranch-with-never-ending-opportunities/article_d78f3b24-dd53-11ed-8b35-3bc0f3a9d8c3.html

I have a bit of a soft spot for this area. There are a few housing developments here and there, but nothing huge. It's still mostly rural seaside Texas there. Have spent a fair amount of time at the county parks just east at Magnolia Beach and a little further down in Indianola over the years. Great little beachfront communities with super friendly people. Never tons of tourists - mostly locals. Great place to unwind and get a bit of peace.

 

This is the kind of property I hope the State buys when it comes up for sale.   They passed a bill (voters have to approve of it in November) allocating a fund of $1B endowment for parkland acquisition.    If managed well - should be able to get $50M a year easily in income to spend.         Tuck these mostly undeveloped 1300 acres into the Wildlife Management Area - it would keep that area about as natural/rural as could be.  

[editor]

On 6/22/2023 at 8:45 AM, ChannelTwoNews said:

If you took the trip - how did it go?

I ended up going to Goliad, instead.  Cute town.  Ate at a little diner and spent too much money at the antiques store on the main square.  Right in the middle of the trip, mother nature threw us a gully washer.  Very dramatic clouds.  I'll post some pictures if I ever get around to developing them.

[Ross]

4 hours ago, editor said:

I ended up going to Goliad, instead.  Cute town.  Ate at a little diner and spent too much money at the antiques store on the main square.  Right in the middle of the trip, mother nature threw us a gully washer.  Very dramatic clouds.  I'll post some pictures if I ever get around to developing them.

Goliad is a great place to visit, but living there would be tough. We camped there with the Scouts a few years ago and there was one mediocre grocery store and not much else. Fun fact, I learned to drive on the old road between Refugio and Goliad. My grandparents lived in Refugio.

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/deleon-plaza/image_815367e8-1c6a-11ee-8a22-1b40727ade6f.html

 

"The Victoria City Council awarded the contract for the DeLeon Plaza Expansion Project to Lauger Companies during the Council’s June 20 meeting. The project will include:

• Sidewalk/ADA improvements, including sloping of the lawn to meet the new pavement
• Drainage improvements
• A performance pavilion
• Restroom and storage facility
• General amenity improvements such as shaded seating and more trash cans
• Improvements to the area in front of the Six Flags monument, where the new statue of Victoria’s founding couple, Martín de León and Patricia de la Garza, will be located

Also, the Marsha Shanklin Foundation has donated $300,000 toward the installation of a water feature at the plaza. The inclusion of the water feature is being postponed to give staff time to explore options."

[kennyc05]

32 minutes ago, ChannelTwoNews said:

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/deleon-plaza/image_815367e8-1c6a-11ee-8a22-1b40727ade6f.html

 

"The Victoria City Council awarded the contract for the DeLeon Plaza Expansion Project to Lauger Companies during the Council’s June 20 meeting. The project will include:

• Sidewalk/ADA improvements, including sloping of the lawn to meet the new pavement
• Drainage improvements
• A performance pavilion
• Restroom and storage facility
• General amenity improvements such as shaded seating and more trash cans
• Improvements to the area in front of the Six Flags monument, where the new statue of Victoria’s founding couple, Martín de León and Patricia de la Garza, will be located

Also, the Marsha Shanklin Foundation has donated $300,000 toward the installation of a water feature at the plaza. The inclusion of the water feature is being postponed to give staff time to explore options."

Nice! My sister sent this to me the other day. She works downtown.

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/premium/dow-facility-to-make-base-materials-for-everyday-products/article_9ab8960a-2975-11ee-b500-ff4018afab31.html

"Next month Dow will break ground on a $235 million facility that will make raw materials for products consumers use daily, such as cosmetics and laundry detergents. The materials form in a type of chemical reaction, known as alkoxylation."

[ChannelTwoNews]

https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/premium/solar-energy-supply-poised-to-grow-in-the-crossroads-as-grid-sees-demand-jump/article_4059dcb8-484d-11ee-949a-6bdf3f29a6cf.html

"In 2025, more solar power is expected to go online in Victoria County. Florida-based Vitis Energy is developing an energy center, located at the Port of Victoria, that could generate up to 40 megawatts of solar and store 80 megawatts of power via batteries.

When the project was first announced in February, Vitis said other tenants of the port could use its energy to power their clean energy operations."

Multiple other farms closer to completion are mentioned including...

Ganado (below) - 200 MW generating / 80 MW battery storage - both at peak

Victoria County - Oriana Solar/Advanced Power - 235 MW

Wharton County -Acciona Energia / Red Tailed Hawk Unit - Unknown

Goliad County - ConEd Clean Energy/RWE Renewables - Peregrine Unit - Unknown; Energy generated here will be sent to CPS Energy Customers in San Antonio.

[strickn]

The FAA's Obstruction OE/AAA database has had, over the past year or two, a tethered kite wind turbine near Victoria that flies at 1500 feet altitude, but the newspaper hasn't said AFAIK whether it is happening or has already happened.

[ChannelTwoNews]

Victoria College breaks ground on new student success center | News | victoriaadvocate.com

"Local leaders, public servants and members of the Victoria College community gathered on campus Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony for the school’s new student success center."

[hindesky]

Architect - https://www.rmaarch.com/index.php

 

[hindesky]