TYLER, Texas — Editor's note: The video above aired at an earlier date of July 27, 2023.
In a city council meeting earlier this month, officials presented a budget proposing $423,000 be used to continue repairing the historic brick streets in Tyler.
"It's money that we want to spend to make sure that our culture and heritage remain here and that we keep our brick streets maintained to the best degree we can," Campbell said.
The long overdue project involves removing individual bricks, repairing them or replacing them.
"Inside the city limits, city streets are our business. So, we want to make sure that those are maintained at the highest level we can with the money that we have present in our funds," Campbell said.
Historic Tyler Inc. Executive Director Amanda Herterich said the bricks date back to 1912.
"Those brick streets are very much an integral part of why people come to Tyler to visit us. Many of our beautiful historic homes and structures are located along these brick streets. And they give a lot of charm and character and define the city," Herterich said.
Already in the works is a project to restore 21,355 square feet of brick streets in Tyler.
In late July, the city council approved a $873,961 contract with Crown Civil Construction Corporation who specializes in brick streets.
Tyler's Street Maintenance Department has previously identified areas of the 13 miles of brick streets around the city in need of repair. Construction for this project is set to begin this fall.
"This project is an essential step towards restoring the City's historical neighborhoods brick by brick," Streets Manager Sara McCracken said in July. "The process involves digging up the bricks, setting them aside, and then compacting and leveling the dirt before pouring a new concrete base. A layer of sand is then placed on top, and the bricks are laid and leveled out by hand."