In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the Aransas County Partnership Economic Development Corporation was created. Their focus has been on rebuilding the vibrancy of the community by focusing on the reconstruction of the Center for the Arts and the development of the Workforce Development Center.
About the Rockport Center for the Arts
The Rockport Center for the Arts, pre-Hurricane Harvey, used to attract between 1,000 and 2,000 people a month. The Center was housed in a Victorian-era home that was donated by the O’Connor family of Victoria, Texas in 1983.
The new center, which opened its doors to the public in 2022, is a two-story, 14,000-square-foot building with five learning and maker spaces, five exhibition spaces, and attracts more than 5,000 people per month. The primary purpose of the Center is to create a communal space that displays world renown artists, as well as art pieces created by local artists in their “Member’s only” gallery.
About the Workforce Development Center
Aransas County and Del Mar College partnered to develop the Workforce Development Center in Rockport, which is scheduled to open late 2024. The Center will provide local resources for community members to train for high-skilled jobs in effort to upskill and retain local talent, as well as attract new businesses to the region.
This serves as a critical component to Rockport’s business retention and expansion efforts as it will expand the local labor force and create a more robust talent pipeline.
This report and content was prepared on behalf of the Texas Economic Development Council using federal funds under award #08-69-05432 from the Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. The statements, findings, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Economic Development Administration or the U.S. Department of Commerce.
