In July of 2012, the community celebrated the groundbreaking of the construction phase of the event center. Over 100 community members and local dignitaries attended the festivities. PHOTO BY Valerie D. Bates
TEXAS BORDER BUSINESS
Port Isabel Mayor Joe E. Vega & City Commissioners cordially invite you to the Grand Opening of the Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center (PIECC) on Saturday, July 26, 2014.
“I’m excited that the event and cultural center is finally completed,” Mayor Vega comments. “This is a big milestone for our community. The event center will bring economic development opportunities such as conferences, tradeshows, art shows and performing arts, but most importantly it will provide a place for local events such as weddings, quincenieras, and family gatherings”, Mayor Vega adds.
Festivities kick off at 4:30 p.m. with a program and ribbon cutting followed at 5:00 p.m. by a tour of the PIECC facility and a showcase of preferred caterers. At 8:00 p.m. there will be a community dance with live music through 12 midnight. The public is invited to attend any or all of the events scheduled for the evening and celebrate the Grand Opening of the Port Isabel Event & Cultural Center.
ABOUT THE PIECC:
The PIECC offers a variety of flexible meeting and event space with expert audio/visual capabilities and a 9,000 square feet capacity accommodating up to 1,200 people. The largest rentable open floor space, the Queen Isabella Ballroom, is 8,000 square feet and can accommodate between 400 to 850 people. The Queen Isabella Ballroom can also be divided into two rooms, the Reyna Isabella and the El Fronton, both nearly 4,000 square feet. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is 1080 sq. ft. of space, with 12 ft. ceilings, that may be converted to a boardroom type of room layout when not in use as an EOC. The room is equipped with state-of-the-art technology and will be able to support a wide variety of multi media events. Outdoor space at the PIECC includes the Charles Champion Courtyard and a generous parking area suitable for open air events.
The service oriented PIECC is conveniently located within walking distance of downtown Port Isabel, accommodations, restaurants, museums, waterfront activities and shopping. The non-smoking PIECC will provide a list of suppliers, including caterers, florists, linens and audio/visual equipment.
SITE:
The main entrance of the structure has been designed to reflect the area’s nautical theme and will feature a wall made up of back lit panels highlighting a bubble pattern.
The colonnade, to the right of the entrance feature, leads to the Queen Isabella Ballroom, 8000 square feet of open space with 19’ ceilings and an entrance each end. In the service area of the Queen Isabella Ballroom, an 8 ft. door has been installed to allow vehicle access. The Queen Isabella Ballroom is also divisible for events requiring a smaller space, breaking down to the Reyna Isabella and the El Fronton, each 3968 sq. ft.
The property also features a prep kitchen for catered events and will also office staff.
BACKGROUND:
In May 2011, Mayor Joe E. Vega and the City Commissioners announced that USDA funding had provided a low interest loan opportunity through their Rural Community Facilities Program. The announcement included an unveiling of the project plans.
In July of 2012, the community celebrated the groundbreaking of the construction phase of the event center. Over 100 community members and local dignitaries attended the festivities.
