Special to Texas Border Business –
A development replacing McAllen’s old Convention and Civic Center took a step forward Monday when commissioners unanimously approved plans to develop the almost 14-acre site. City records indicate that the facility was built in 1946. About a year ago, commissioners picked Provident Realty Advisors, Inc. of Dallas to come up with a plan for the strategically located land at South 10th Street and the Expressway.
Provident has submitted layout plans to the city for approval and calls the project The Shops at Solana. The Planning and Zoning Commission earlier this month approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the site, which means they waived some city requirements so long as the developer/owner abides by certain restrictions. The commission also agreed to the creation of a Planned Urban Development (PUD) which gives Provident more freedom in how they lay out and develop the land.
The city and Provident recently amended their agreement allowing Provident to bring in a partner if they choose, and extending the time to finalize plans until October. City Manager Roy Rodriguez said after the meeting that things are “back on track and we’re still looking at closing (on the deal) this year.”
Hotel, theater – whatever else Provident comes up with, the city is requiring them to put in at least 200,000 square feet of retail space and they can have no more than 15 percent of the footprint dedicated to bars. TBB
