WESLACO, Texas – Steve Valdez, executive director of the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation, explained how his city’s newest industrial park came to be and why it’s already proving popular with tenants.
The Mid Valley International Industrial Park was developed at the corner of FM 1015 (International Boulevard) and Mile 9 Road (Sugarcane Drive). The site is a community-planned industrial and retail area of over 146 acres. After all easements were removed and interior roads were built, the actual buildable area was reduced to 122 acres.
“We were running out of space in our existing industrial park. That park was probably over 300 acres. It’s an older park. It’s probably been around for 30, 40 years. And with only a few parcels left, the EDC board encouraged us as employees to look for more space,” Valdez said.
“And so, fortunately, we found a 150-acre piece of land within a mile, right off the 1015, two minutes from the freeway. So we bought the land and built it.”
In fact, says Valdez, it was over-engineered by Weslaco EDC.
“So we have 55-foot-wide concrete roads, two lanes, oversized infrastructure, water, sewer, the ability to run fiber optic cables. It’s all there.”
Valdez said the EDC retained eight acres off FM 1015 when it subdivided the property.
“We made these commercial, and they sold quickly, they sold at market value. So that indicates that Weslaco will continue to grow north,” Valdez explained.
With the other properties in the background, Weslaco EDC was able to sign Glazer’s Beer & Beverage, Valdez emphasized.
“They’re working full steam ahead now in the industrial park, and we’re so happy to have them here. They’ve created 200 jobs, and they liked the idea that they could get their trucks on the highway and drive in any direction, almost as many as to Rio Grande City and Roma, all the way to South Padre Island and Brownsville.
“So this development ultimately fell into our laps… we were really excited that it worked out so well for us.”
When asked how much space the EDC now has available in the new industrial park, Valdez said:
“We started, roughly speaking… we started with about 150 acres. And as I said, when we built the roads and the drainage and retention basins, we ended up with about 122 developable acres. After Glaziers took over 25, we got down to about 80 to 90.
“We also sold ten acres to UPS. They are also a strategic partner for us. So when those two properties are taken, we will have about 80 acres.
“We talk to three prospects who are… they’re always at different stages of the process. Some are soft leads. Some are strong leads. But we have about three or four in the pipeline that we’re talking to that are interested.
“This is mainly due to the fact that we are strategically located in the middle of the valley. That was a great help to us.”
Valdez made these remarks in a podcast recording with the Rio Grande GuardianWhen asked about Weslaco EDC’s close relationship with the international bridges in Donna and Progreso, Valdez said:
“Fortunately, both bridges are open to commercial traffic, so you can bring trucks across.
“The Progreso Bridge handles mainly grain, sorghum and soybeans. And a lot of the cargo that comes through here stays nearby. There is also a small industrial park being built there, and there is land there as well. So the trucks don’t have to go far from the bridge before they can turn around and cross again.
“From what I understand, Donna (International Bridge) just started accepting southbound empties. And once they open up the possibility of trucks heading north, it will affect all of us. Mercedes, Donna, Weslaco, we will all benefit from this type of traffic.”
“When we started developing our industrial park, the first thing we did was contact Progreso and Donna to see how we could merge and at the same time talk about joint planning.
“I think development will be slow from there, as Donna recently announced that she will be expanding the commercial area south.”
When asked about the strategic advantages of the Mid Valley region, Valdez said the cities of Weslaco, Donna and Mercedes work well together.
“We are so close, so connected. There are constant conversations between the cities. I think we were at the EDC in Mercedes a few times. We communicated with each other. They contacted us about projects,” Valdez said.
“And the same is especially true for the bridge in Donna. I think we were there about six months ago to see the progress. And we’ve also been in touch with Progreso and Rio Bravo to maintain those relationships as well. It’s about strategic relationships. We call ourselves Mid Valley and it’s about building relationships with those partners.”
Editor’s Note: Here is a video recording of the podcast with Steve Valdez:
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