By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
Solid economic growth and a strong financial position for the City of Harlingen will continue through 2014, Mayor Chris Boswell said at his annual “State of the City” address.
Besides a Cracker Barrel restaurant and Marriott Residence Inn under construction near Bass Pro Shops, the mayor said the city plans to extend Bass Pro Drive west to Spur 54 to accommodate more retail growth. A Sam’s Wholesale Club is scheduled to open March 20 near Bass Pro Shops and Boswell said that more name-brand tenants for the Bass Pro Shops area will be announced during 2014.
Three new retail stores broke ground this week between Kohl’s and Burlington at Harlingen Corners, Boswell told a crowd of more than 200 people at The Reese during his luncheon presentation hosted by the Rotary Club of Harlingen. Statistics for 2013 show the commercial construction gains worth $134,895,950 in Harlingen led the Rio Grande Valley.
“Commercial construction projects mean jobs, the growth of our economy, and an increase in our tax base,” Boswell said. “… This is a leading indicator of the strength of Harlingen’s economic growth. We also led all Valley cities in combined residential and commercial construction permits.”
He emphasized the city’s increase of its fund balance to more than $15 million – three times greater than the fund balance 10 years ago – and its A- credit rating from Standards and Poor allows budget flexibility. The S&P comments noted the city’s “good management,” Boswell said. The S&P predicted that Harlingen’s economy will “continue to diversify, aided by the city’s economic development incentive programs and extensive transportation network.”
Other business progress the mayor cited include the addition of jobs with Pan American Hydrogen coming to the Harlingen Industrial Park to manufacture hydrogen generation energy plants, the expansion of ITD Precision Stamping that added 20 new jobs, and growth for Grocers Supply’s facility. He said more jobs will come to the community as Betchel recruits workers to build the La Paloma Power Plant that will break ground this year. The $650 million project should have more than 600 workers on site at the peak of its development. More construction could continue the trend in declining unemployment; the jobless rate in Harlingen dropped from 9.4 percent in 2010 to 7.2 percent in 2013.
Boswell praised existing and longtime businesses that provide the foundation of the city’s prosperity. He recalled that seven Downtown Harlingen businesses received the Texas Treasure Business Award during the past year. Finding a private investor to redevelop the nine-story McKelvey Building in Downtown Harlingen would add to the increasingly vibrant and attractive core of the city, he said.
The mayor said that development of the new University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley – the consolidation of UT-Brownsville and UT-Pan American – will bring many changes to the city and the region. The Regional Academic Health Center campus in Harlingen will be part of the UTRGV medical school and the UT System expects the new university could generate up to 10,000 new jobs.
“We will have a medical school with 200 medical students and 150 residency positions … and part of their training ground will be the $10 million, 35,000-square-foot smart hospital simulation center on the RAHC campus in Harlingen which was completed in late fall,” Boswell said.
He invited community leaders and citizens to remain active with input and involvement. “Building a better future takes imagination, dedication, perseverance and a willingness to dream big dreams,” the mayor concluded. “With your input and your support, we will keep building on the successes of our past and keep looking ahead to a bright and prosperous future.”
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