A sushi bar may be headed back into downtown Corpus Christi.
Known as Sushi Bar — also in shorthand as SB — a restaurant location had opened in 2014 at the 300 block of North Chaparral Street, but a street “renovation project had significant negative financial impacts on their business, which ultimately had to close in 2017,” according to a city memo.
Owners of SB are seeking to revamp a vacant building to serve up their fare, described in the memo as “built at the intersection of Asian fusion food culture and South Texas regional cuisine.”
“Their menu will include all the original sushi classics of their previous menu and new small bites such as kobe sliders, crunchy crab spring rolls, Sichuan-glazed brisket noodles, Binchotan-smoked wings, and a beverage bar to include alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty drinks,” the documents state.
Located at 523 Taylor St., the proposed new SB location is opposite the former Corpus Christi Caller-Times building.
The building had previously been a bank and later an IT business before becoming vacant about four years ago, said Arlene Medrano, executive director of the Downtown Management District.
Speaking to members of the board that oversees downtown tax incentives, she named the proposed price of the tax incentive award at about $133,0000.
That was approved Feb. 24.
The funding is drawn from what is known as a tax increment reinvestment zone, in this case, from the downtown zone.
A percentage of new revenue collected within the zone is reinvested back into the zone, the idea being that the tax incentives may spur new development and ultimately increase property tax valuations.
The tax incentives for SB are planned to go to exterior building work, including new decks, doors and windows, as well as landscaping and fresh paint, according to the presentation made before the board.
The total project cost is estimated at about $450,000, it states.
Kirsten Crow covers city government and water news. Have a story idea? Contact her at kirsten.crow@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: New sushi restaurant may be coming to downtown Corpus Christi
Reporting by Kirsten Crow, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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