305 W. Railroad St. Weslaco, TX 78596 (956) 969-0838 phone (956) 969-8611 fax

  • News and Events

    Posted on June 7th, 2010

    Weslaco EDC Board Returns from ICSC Convention

    new camera pix 047WESLACO – Weslaco Economic Development Corporation board members and executive director recently returned from the International Council for Shopping Centers real estate convention held in Las Vegas with a positive outlook for the future of the community.

    It is the largest convention of its kind where retailers, developers, public entities and related businesses are able to interact with each other to promote their businesses and geographical areas. The convention is held yearly in Las Vegas as its convention center is one of a few that can hold an event of this magnitude where the entire center is filled with exhibits and classrooms.

    The Weslaco contingency was able to compare and contrast our regional economy with the rest of the country. Hernan Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Weslaco EDC said they came back to Weslaco feeling fortunate to live in Texas, especially the Valley. “We are in a very attractive area for developers and real estate brokers who are working on many projects for 2011 and 2012,” he said.
    The sessions at the convention included opportunities for public bodies to learn the complexities of the retail deal making. Successful communities are those that work diligently to clean up and develop a mindset that they need to be very efficient customer service oriented municipalities. Building new retail development areas are very expensive for the developers. Communities are competing for the developments and need to do away with inefficiencies that will cost the developers additional money in the long run. The developers will choose to build elsewhere if the city government’s laws and restrictions are inefficient and don’t foster growth for the community.
    President of the Weslaco EDC Board of Directors, Mike Givilancz, attended the convention coming home with stronger convictions in how the EDC and City of Weslaco need to work together in a very cohesive manner. Strong and open communication is a key component of the success of a community he said, adding “We need to work together for the benefit of the community and never for the benefit of one’s self.” Infrastructure needs to be provided by the government to attract the developers to build in Weslaco, providing jobs and increasing our tax base.
    The keynote speakers for the convention included Robert Reich, the nation’s 22nd Secretary of Labor and professor at the University of California at Berkeley, and Blake Nordstrom, President of Nordstrom Department Stores. Reich spoke about the changing economic environment and how it is affecting developers across the nation while Nordstrom spoke from the retailers’ point of view and what they look for in developers and communities.

    In addition to Gonzalez and Givilancz, the other Weslaco EDC Board members who attended were Letty Aleman, Johnny Bautista and Joe Olivarez. A local commercial real estate professional, Randy Summers also attended the convention. Summers, Vice President/Sales Manager of Davis Equity Realty attends the conference annually, returning this year feeling more optimistic than he did after the 2009 convention. “It was a good feeling coming back to Weslaco with deals in the works for 2011 and 2012 – a definite change from last years’ conference,” stated Summers. Conduits like finance companies starting to free money to lend developers have a positive impact both psychologically and in reality. Retailers, developers and commercial real estate professionals are preparing for the economy to turn around. Summers added, “The Valley is on the radar of a lot of companies wanting to expand and we are prepared to help them make it happen.”

  • News and Events

    Posted on May 7th, 2010

    DPS Regional Headquarters Breaks Ground in Weslaco

    WESLACO – Weslaco will soon be the home of the Regional Headquarters for the Texas Department of Public Safety. A ground breaking ceremony was held May 14, 2010 for the project with over $40 million in construction.

    A more than 110,000 square feet complex will be built on the 20 acre site with plenty of space for growth. The land, located on FM 1015, was given to the state by the City of Weslaco and the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation. Hernan Gonzalez, Executive Director of the EDC said that the city leaders felt this was an important gesture as the returns in economic impact will be felt for years. “The high level of jobs and payroll that will be paid out of this facility will transform to home sales, additional jobs, sales tax revenues and so much more,” said Gonzalez. He added, “The employees most likely have families that will be living in Weslaco, where they will have homes, other jobs, shop and entertain in our community, adding revenue to the city coffers.”

    The facility will house the Administrative Headquarters for DPS Region 3 which spans from Del Rio to the north, east to Uvalde down to Corpus Christi then south to Brownsville. Departments that will be included in the facility are as follows: Texas Highway Patrol Division; Texas Rangers; Aircraft Section; Criminal Investigations Division; Intelligence & Counter Terrorism; Emergency Management Division; Information Technology; Victim Services; Crime Lab; and Law Enforcement Support Division. There will also be a separate facility for a Driver License Division.

    All regional command staff will be working out of the Weslaco offices. The regional headquarters will have a positive economic impact on the city with a substantial payroll that will be moved to Weslaco. Many who will be working at the DPS Regional Headquarters will be shopping, eating in local restaurants and buying homes.

    Jose C. Rodriguez III, Regional Commander of Texas Department of Public Safety said they are all excited about the construction of the DPS Regional Headquarters in Weslaco. “The new complex will allow the Department to enhance public safety and provide world class services. We are very appreciative to the Texas Legislature for recognizing the need for the facility in the Rio Grande Valley and the partnership we have established with the City of Weslaco Leadership,” Rodriguez commented.

    Weslaco is strategically located in the center of the Rio Grande Valley, just 15 minutes to the east of McAllen and 15 minutes to the west of Harlingen on US Expressway 83. The DPS Regional Headquarters will be located less than two-miles north of Expressway 83 on FM 1015 on the northwest corner at Mile 9.

    Texas Department of Public Safety rendering of the new Regional Headquarters to be built in Weslaco at FM 1015 and Mile 9. Ground Breaking Ceremony May 14 at 10 am.

    Texas Department of Public Safety rendering of the new Regional Headquarters to be built in Weslaco at FM 1015 and Mile 9. Ground Breaking Ceremony May 14 at 10 am.

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    The Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce works for the development and voice of business success in Weslaco by providing opportunities for all businesses and individuals who invest in the community. The Chamber was established in 1935 and is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in the 2009-2010 year.

  • News and Events

    Posted on March 19th, 2010

    Mid Valley Airport – A Springboard to Economic Development

  • News and Events

    Posted on December 3rd, 2009

    Mid-Valley Airport holds groundbreaking ceremony for new customs facility

    Mid-Valley Airport holds groundbreaking ceremony for new customs facility

    Mid-Valley Airport holds groundbreaking ceremony for new customs facility

    WESLACO, Dec. 2 – A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Mid-Valley Airport in Weslaco on Tuesday for a 2,000 square foot federal building that will allow customs officials to clear incoming international flights.

    Currently, Mid-Valley Airport cannot receive corporate flights from abroad. Once the $750,000 new facility is complete next summer, customs officials will be able to come up from the Progreso port of entry and clear business passengers coming in from countries such as Mexico.

    “Our niche business is corporations and business people coming to the Rio Grande Valley,” said Mid-Valley Airport Director George Garrett.

    “As a former board member once told me, people who come to the Valley to invest money don’t come on the Greyhound bus. They come in corporate airplanes. And that is what we want to cater to. We want to reach across the border to our neighbors to the south and provide services to those folks that want to fly in and shop and invest. It is a new port of entry for new businesses.”

    Garrett said when the new facility is built, private planes flying in from Mexico will be able to call in with their flight plan and tell customs officials when they will be landing. Customs officials will then drive up from the Progreso port of entry and clear the flight.

    Garrett said the project had taken about eight or nine years to get to this point. He thanked consultants Vesta Rea and Associates of Houston for its help.

    “This is a great day, a new beginning for new development in the Mid Valley and Weslaco area. People looking to invest in South Texas need to look to the Mid Valley,” Garrett said.

    “We are not looking to compete with the McAllen, Harlingen or Brownsville air carrier business. We are here to deal with the corporate environment and provide the very best service we can to our corporate clients.”

    Weslaco Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Hernan Gonzalez explained that the total investment in the new federal facility is coming from local funds, with no help from the state or federal government.

    “This is another step for Weslaco and the Mid-Valley region to reinvent itself by investing in itself,” Gonzalez said.

    “We are going to provide a tremendous airport that is congestion-free for the business community. And it is going to help the whole region because we are in the middle of the market,” he said, pointing out that Weslaco is 20 miles from Edinburg, 18 miles from McAllen and 18 miles from Harlingen.

    Gonzalez pointed to two local companies that would benefit from the new facility. Executives with Woodcrafters Home Products LLC fly to Mexico a lot. At present they fly in and out of McAllen. Gran Café de Paroquia, of Veracruz, Mexico, is setting up a distribution center in Weslaco and its executives will be able to fly in and out of the city.

    “As McAllen Airport gets more commercial it tends to push aside general aviation. General aviation is very important to Weslaco. We envision being the premiere general aviation airport in the Valley. We want the people who have planes and have businesses to run to come here,” Gonzalez said.

    Mid-Valley Airport needed legislation at the state level in order to tap into Weslaco EDC funds for the new customs facility. That legislation, which allowed EDCs to put money into airport infrastructure within 100 miles of the border, was passed in the 79th Legislature by state Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez, D-Weslaco.

    “With hard work, dedication and vision, you can hit your goal, and Mid-Valley Airport has done that,” Martinez said. “This new customs facility will have a great economic impact on the Mid Valley region. You don’t have the traffic here that you have at other airports. You will attract more business from the international sector. Business leaders will be able to get inspected by customs quickly and be on their way to go and shop and see what the Valley has to offer.”

    Salomon Torres, Valley district director for Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, and Martha Noell, president and CEO of the Weslaco Area Chamber of Commerce, also attended the groundbreaking ceremony.

    Photo and Article By Rio Grande Guardian and Steve Taylor

  • News and Events

    Posted on November 26th, 2009

    JC Penney Returns to Weslaco

    JC Penny Returns to Weslaco WESLACO, TX – The Weslaco JC Penney store opened October 2, 2009 and the economic impact from local sales tax will be felt for years to come. However, Weslaco has seen a positive impact since the construction began on the 104,000 square foot store more than a year ago. Money has been spent in Weslaco as contractors and equipment were hired to prepare the land and construct the building as well as the folks who are merchandizing the store. Local hotels, eateries and entertainment venues have benefited. The store is getting ready to open and more than 125 people have been hired, most of them from the Weslaco area. Ventures like this create so much more than just sales and property tax for the area; the impact begins from the earliest stages and has a lasting impact.

    The Weslaco trade area has more than 200,000 people residing in a ten-mile radius of Texas Blvd and the Expressway. Money from this population for years has been spent in McAllen and other metropolitan areas for goods and services that can now stay in our trade area. Hernan Gonzalez, the Executive Director of the Economic Development Corporation of Weslaco says that bringing in retailers like JC Penney will begin to stop the leakage of those dollars. “Bringing in JC Penney is just the beginning of the phase. We will be able to attract other national retailers and restaurants to our city, which will keep more of our trade dollars here. It’s a cycle,” he adds. “Once you begin this cycle you then can attract more visitors to the area’s attractions like downtown and the nature centers. Everyone benefits.”

    The General Manager of the Weslaco JC Penney, Maribel Jacquez, has been a dedicated employee of the retailer for last 16 years but has been a loyal shopper of the store since she was a child. She grew up in a farm community outside El Paso, Texas and has fond memories of driving into the city with her mom to shop at JC Penney, never dreaming that one day she would be running her own store for the company. On one of those outings to the El Paso JC Penney, she applied for a job and was hired on the spot and has been with them since. Reopening a JC Penney store in Weslaco means so much more for Ms. Jacquez, “it means we are back to stay and make a difference in our community!” She feels strongly that the staff at the store is proof of the commitment that Weslaco has in its people and their desire and willingness to grow. She adds “Weslaco has been amazing! We appreciate the support that we have received at our new location. It has been a joy to see the anticipation growing as customers show up daily to see if the store is open.” The customers are excited and ready to shop and the staff cannot wait to open their doors. JC Penney is very committed to the communities which it serves. Ms. Jacquez said in Weslaco they will be supporting the 4H programs with volunteers as well as financial donations.

    The assistant store manager, Susie Hernandez has been with JC Penney for many years, starting with the McAllen store and then the Edinburg store last year. She is excited to be part of the growth of the company as she helps in opening another new store in the valley. “Weslaco is an exciting place to be these days – The community wants growth. You can see it in their efforts such as beautification projects and revitalization of downtown,” said Hernandez.

    The long anticipated opening of the new JC Penney store in Weslaco has deeper meaning for Sales Manager, Jesse Rodriguez. The Weslaco native started with JC Penney more than thirty three years ago while he was still in high school, and then continued to work for the store while going to college and made it his career once he earned his degree. When JC Penney closed its doors in downtown Weslaco he worked for the McAllen store. It is with great pride that he is part of the opening of the new store in his home town. He knows that the people are starving for this type of establishment. “JC Penney is a company you can be proud to work for, but I take greater pride in the fact that I’m helping to bring this store back to Weslaco and in a big way,” Rodriguez said. “The store front right on the expressway shows people that as a city, we are growing and have a lot to offer visitors and the people who choose to make Weslaco their home,” he added.

    The opening of the Weslaco JC Penney store is not just about the economic impact it will have on the city, it is about jobs, the people and more importantly the community.

  • News and Events

    Posted on November 24th, 2009

    Bobby Lackey Stadium gets Makeover

    Bobby Lackey Stadium got a recent makeover to compete with other high profile programs approved by the Weslaco Independent School District.

    The addition of the new seating, scoreboard, press box, ticket booths and eventually a track have transformed Bobby Lackey Stadium from an average stadium into a top-notch facility in the Rio Grande Valley capable of drawing 13,000 people to a high profile Weslaco sporting event.

  • News and Events

    Posted on November 24th, 2009

    Four to interview for City Manager spot

    The Weslaco citizen’s commission has carved down a group of 40 candidates, the citizen’s committee has presented city commissioners with a list of three possible candidates for the city manager position.

    Mayor Buddy De La Rosa said the committee has held regular meetings during the last two months to pare down the list of candidates — one with experience in the manufacturing industry and two others with experience in the municipal government arena.

    “This is the first time we’ve ever created one because it’s the responsibility of the mayor and commissioners to select the city manager,” he said. “The committee received 40 applications. Of those 40, they said that 10 were worthy of being interviewed. Of those 10 they recommended three.”

  • News and Events

    Posted on November 24th, 2009

    Mid-Valley Airport to get Customs Facility

    The Mid-Valley Airport is going international. The general and private aviation facility in Weslaco began work on a customs facility that will allow international flights to land, airport director George Garrett said.

    The Weslaco Economic Development Corp. ponied up the $750,000 to build the 2,000-square foot building, which is expected to open by summer 2010.

  • News and Events

    Posted on November 24th, 2009

    12th Annual Texas Pepper Conference A Success

    The 12th Texas Pepper Conference conference, organized by the Texas Pepper Foundation, was held on Nov. 12 to 13 at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Weslaco, 2301 E. Highway 83.

    Dr. Ben Villalona, professor emeritus and a retired Texas AgriLife Research pepper breeder in Weslaco, told The Monitor recently, “People the world over are consuming more and more peppers and salsas and while people may eat them for the heat and taste they add to meals, they’re also doing their bodies a great favor.”

















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