Revitalize Hidalgo HUQ into vital community assets

The Old Calle San Sebastian. PHOTO BY JOHN TEWELL

Locals have to organize a community planning cooperative/corporation that will organize the stakeholders. Immediately, they should form a community investing or “comvesting” cooperative or community-owned corporation, which is a for-profit, communally-owned and managed business operated for the benefit of its members. It will also be responsible for “crowd-funding,” “barrels community market,” local investment opportunity network and other potential funding sources to sustain a distinctive, place-based tourism program. Eventually, the group can lobby for “Renaissance Zoning” for tax reduction on Heritage Urban Quarters. The group can also initiate agreement for stewardship of underutilized heritage structures and fund its restoration by doing it 1 percent at a time.