Heart of Tyler Holds Annual Meeting

TYLER — The winners of this year’s Brick Award for contributions to downtown Tyler are Rebecca Ballard and Crysti LaRocca. They’re described by outgoing Heart of Tyler President Brooke Droptini as the “creative minds” behind the organization’s biggest fundraiser, Black Tie Bingo. The award announcement was made at the annual meeting of Heart of Tyler, the city’s downtown revitalization group. The gathering was held at the new Innovation Pipeline, a facility for budding entrepreneurs.

During the meeting, attendees received an update on downtown’s past year and what lies ahead in 2017. Speakers focused on such topics as new businesses and the wealth of ongoing activities. Also earning a mention: continuing efforts in historic preservation and adaptive re-use of old downtown facilities, including the site of the annual meeting. Other recognitions included a tip of the hat to Butler Architectural Group and the People’s Petroleum Building, which were recently honored by the Texas Downtown Association.