Graham Sevier & Park Coffee - A Cycle of Change in Brownsville

"A Fresh Cup of Initiative" 

Graham Sevier - Park Coffe & Cycles

Today' s Profile is about the downtown and healthy living movement and a sneak preview of Park Coffee located at 7th & Park just behind the Brownsville Museum of Fine Arts at the Linear Park Trail Head. Scheduled to open in early December 2016 this business really is a sign of the change that is sweeping Brownsville! Graham Sevier and his family and friends represent a new breed in our community. They are the young people who have moved here or returned and instead of following a traditional path they are working to carve their own. This movement is fostering a number of new artisans, galleries, shops, outdoor enthusiasts and an interest in downtown and all things hip.

Park Coffee 7th & Park Under Construction

The downtown and healthy living movement is by no means new to our community. There are many unsung pioneers and heroes of the movement from small business owners like Teri Rendon who opened the Carriage House when no one wanted to go downtown to the Foncerrada family who opened El Hueso De Fraile to Commissioner Rose Gowen who has dedicated her career to creating Cyclobia. Other individuals include Trey Mendez who has invested his own money into renovating homes and commercial buildings, Lisa Mitchell-Bennett of UTRGV,  Rose Timer of Healthy Communities and Brownsville Farmer's Market, George Ramirez who holds the Latin Jazz Festival and many more including people like Roman McAllen, Peter Goodman and Ramiro Gonzalez of the City to name a few. This list by no means includes everyone but these are some of the more prominent figures.

Montebella Bike Trail - Credit NA

The movement to create a more healthy community has dovetailed with the movement to renew downtown in a wonderful way.  Progress is ongoing and adjustments can always be made but overall the current status is really gaining momentum! The City began work to Linear Trail over a decade ago but believe it or not it was not the first trail in town. One of the first trails was created by local developer Bill Hudson at Paseo De La Resaca. Shortly after that the Palo Alto Battle Field Trail was created. The Linear Trail conveniently brought them together and created an impressive trails system for the city dubbed one of the most unhealthy cities in America! But it doesn't stop there while all this was going on the Monte Bella Mountain Bike Trail was created which now has a disc golf course and a few years ago Resaca De La Palma trails were created. Most recently the Belden Trail was created to attach Linear Trail to West Brownsville. And this says nothing for all the bike lanes around the city. Put simply Brownsville has an impressive amount of bike routes and trails and there are miles and miles of more in the works with the recent awarding of the Tiger Grant.

As of late the movement really seems to be picking up among the younger crowd. You have people like Frank Morales who has started the Downtown Brownsville Collaborators which hosts Art Walks. You also have Frank's restaurant Contrapunto, Terra's Bar & Grill which recently opened and others that have come along recently. The City is also slowly but surely renovating Market Square and recently fostered the opening of AVAI - Activating Vacancy Arts Incubator in the San Fernando Building. When you couple this with the Brownsville Farmer's Market, efforts of UTRGV and TSC on their campus and the myriad of other government, private and non-profit projects and other initiatives, you have nothing short of a renaissance. It seems every week we hear something new and positive... All this is not to forget the new Multi-Modal BUS Station and other civic upgrades. No it's not a complete project. As with any city it is an on going process but the writing is on the wall. Things are changing and for the most part, in a positive direction.

Graham Sevier - Park Coffe & Cycles

So now we get back to Park Coffee. As I previously said they are more than bicycle shop and a refreshing cup of coffee. They are a breath of fresh air in our community. For those of us who believe in progress and change it's nothing short of joyous to see all of this. It has been a long time coming but it is coming and with the right attitude in the community and fearless leaders like Graham Sevier at Park Coffee... the dream that we can go downtown enjoy live music, chill in a coffee shop, ride miles and miles and share common interest with a variety of people is no longer a dream. Thanks to these pioneers, leaders and relentlessly hopeful people we can all get out there and not just dream it but Be part of it. 

Author Craig Grove

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