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By Sierra Kondos

Special to The News

The newly renovated Press Building can be considered a vessel for revitalizing downtown Port Arthur by fostering entrepreneurship and diversifying the local economy.

On Monday, the Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation hosted an Open House for The Press Building followed by a ribbon cutting at the site, 549 4^th Street.

The PAEDC completed the $10M renovation of the old Port Arthur News Building in 2022. The building encompasses 47,000 square feet and accommodates three anchor tenants, as well as conference rooms and offices that are available for rent.

“The Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation began the project around 2020,” Darrell Anderson, EDC president said. “The project aims to support small businesses by providing resources like accounting and secretarial services, meeting spaces, and a supportive environment for business growth. Four years later, it has finally come to fruition.”

The main tenants are Lamar State College Port Arthur, which hosts their culinary arts curriculum with state-of-the-art teaching kitchens. The other tenants are the city’s Emergency Operations Center, the EOC team also has a state-of-the-art space that enables first responders to communicate, congregate and assist citizens in the event of a natural or industrial disaster; and the Port Arthur Community Federal Credit Union serving downtown Port Arthur.

“We are hoping to have several different types of businesses in place and be able to provide some of the regular things that they would need,” he said. “It all begins with an application process. A new business can come to the building and maybe rent the big area and conduct an introduction for their company. We have support that’s in The Press Building to help with things like that. If that business needs support to get up and run, to sustain itself or solidify itself, we want to be there to help with that part of it. So yes, we’re there for businesses that are already in place, but we’re more so there for up-and-coming companies.”

Anderson said the goal is to build Port Arthur by supporting local entrepreneurs.

“We have a number of people, especially in this day and age, doing some type of business,” he said. “Entrepreneurship is high, and people love it. They love to be able to work for themselves. So, the idea was to help them to be able to do that and still be able to meet all those responsibilities that come along with owning a business that a lot of people don’t really know about, haven’t been introduced to, so they will last, instead of being surprised down the line with some things that they are not aware of.”

The EDC President said that Port Arthur is an industrial base city and needs a variety of businesses to help the city thrive.

“Industry is always going to need support,” he said. “But we also need to have things in place, other types of businesses for others to come in shop. That’s why we want to diversify. We want to have several different types of companies in Port Arthur that are strong and vibrant.”

The Press Building offers conference room and co-working area rentals. For additional information regarding rental please contact 409-681-4595.