I attended a luncheon meeting today atop the Chase Tower in downtown Amarillo.
The office building looms 31 floors above the ground and from the top floor you can get a tremendous look across many miles of the sprawling Texas Panhandle landscape.
I chose to look down, though.
Peering east from the top of the tower I was struck once again by the vast change that’s occurring across the street from the Civic Center and City Hall.
The Embassy Suites hotel superstructure has been topped out next to the performing arts center. Next door is that parking garage that’s going to provide parking for several hundred vehicles along with some retail space on the ground floor.
My amazement continues to be at the sight of all that heavy construction downtown, the cranes towering over the sites.
We’ve lived here for more than two decades. During almost our entire time as residents of Amarillo, my wife and I have seen nothing approaching the level of activity that’s proceeding at this moment.
For too long the city appeared indifferent to the vitality and economic health of its central business district. Does that make as little sense to others as it does to me, that the city wouldn’t want to develop a clearly defined strategy to improve its downtown district?
Amarillo did that a few years ago when it ratified its Strategic Action Plan.
I am gratified to see the progress that is underway downtown.
I’ll reiterate thatĀ the progressĀ looks pretty impressive when you can look at it from the top of downtown Amarillo’s tallest structure.