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Two days after confirming the Port Arthur City Council will seal the deal on the Hotel Sabine, some Port Arthur people are suggesting the floodgates may open on sales for nearby downtown properties.

But where? When? And what’s next?

The city of Port Arthur holds a host of available downtown lots, many of them donated to the city or acquired when property owners abandoned them. Early this year, the city cleared several downtown lots of ramshackle buildings and knocked them down, clearing land.

“Downtown is very exciting right now,” said Mayor Derrick Freeman, who in his day job sells commercial real estate.

Downtown shopping

It’s certainly exciting to Joe Aref, the developer who brought Tia Juanita’s to Jimmy Johnson Boulevard, which opened last month. Aref owns property at 427 Procter St., next to the 501 Building, which houses the Port Arthur Economic Development Corp.

Aref, a veteran developer whose father, Mike, and brother Faddi, also develop local property, purchased his downtown property about seven months ago. He said Motiva approached him about selling but, he said, he’s an investor: He wants to locate his own business development there.

Aref is eying creation of a 12,000-square-foot shopping area on the block, which he shares with the Port Arthur Health Department. He said he’s been approached by fast-food chains, a coffee shop and a lawyer who wants to hang his shingle downtown. Right now, Aref said, he’s in the pre-development stage, determining what’s the best use of the property.

He said he bought the property long before the Motiva announcement, with an eye toward developing “something nice.” Among his many developments are strip shopping areas in Beaumont and Port Arthur, although he said his attention is focused on the latter.

“We’ve been here all our lives,” he said. “Our lives are in Port Arthur.”

Calls coming

At the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce, President and CEO Pat Avery said Thursday she’s been fielding phone calls — inquiries, only — since Motiva and the city have confirmed purchase of the Federal Building, Adams Building and now the Hotel Sabine. Sometimes, she said, she’s not sure the callers are inquiring about downtown.

“But,” she said, “I make my pitch, anyway.”

Interim City Manager Rebecca Underhill said Thursday that Port Arthur has numerous available properties but there is order to what they are discussing with Motiva and others. First up: Completion of the Hotel Sabine property sale with Motiva. Next: Discussion of the parking lot behind the Port Arthur Police Station and after that, discussion of the possible sale of the Health Department building.

Two events

City leaders and Motiva were also preparing for two public events next week:

• Motiva and the Symphony of Southeast Texas will hold a “Celebrate Spring” event Tuesday to mark the company’s commitment to revitalizing downtown Port Arthur. The evening will include a “demi-concert” featuring Maestro Chelsea Tipton and members of the symphony. It starts with a 5:30 p.m. social hour, 6:30 concert and 7 p.m. “meet and greet” at the Museum of the Gulf Coast, 700 Procter St. RSVP: 409-543-8699.
• Movita and the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce will celebrate Motiva’s plans to locate operations in three historic downtown buildings: The 1912 Federal Building and the 1926 Adams Building, both at the intersection of Fifth Street and Austin Avenue; and the Hotel Sabine on Procter Street, built in 1929. “Imagine … Port Arthur” is set for 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the 500 block of Austin Avenue downtown, where Motiva will unveil its plans.