FEATURED, FROM LEFT: Former Edinburg mayors Ramiro Garza, Jr. and Joe Ochoa, Edinburg Mayor Omar Ochoa, and Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, during Mayor Omar Ochoa’s State of the City Address at the Edinburg Arts, Culture, and Events (ACE) Center on Thursday, April 9, 2026. A city announcement on Thursday, May 7, 2026 that an $18 million to $20 million redevelopment of the existing Comfort Inn and MainStay Suites, located at 4001 S. Closner Boulevard in Edinburg, will be taking place is the latest evidence of the continuing strength of commercial construction in the four-time All-America City, said Mayor Omar Ochoa. Former Mayor Joe Ochoa and Mayor Omar Ochoa are father and son.
Photograph Courtesy CITY OF EDINBURG
••••••
$18 million to $20 million redevelopment of Comfort Inn and MainStay Suites latest evidence of continuing strong commercial construction in Edinburg, Mayor Omar Ochoa announces
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]
A city announcement on Thursday, May 7, 2026 that an $18 million to $20 million redevelopment will be taking place of the existing Comfort Inn and MainStay Suites, located at 4001 S. Closner Boulevard, is the latest evidence of the continuing strength of commercial construction in the four-time All-America City, said Mayor Omar Ochoa.
Binning Hospitality LLC will transform those properties into a Staybridge Suites and Holiday Inn, creating 47 full-time jobs.
The All-America City designation, awarded by the National Civic League, annually recognizes 10 cities nationwide for their innovation, community inclusiveness, and civic pride for leveraging civic engagement to solve local problems. Edinburg has been named an All-America City in 2024, 2000, 1995, and 1968.
Commercial construction is the planning, design, and building of structures intended for business, public, or industrial uses, such as office buildings, retail centers, warehouses, and hospitals. These projects are typically larger, more regulated, and more complex than residential construction, focusing on functionality, safety codes, and high-volume usage.
“Our total commercial permit valuations skyrocketed (from 2024 t0 2025) by 110 percent. We see this progress in the nearly $34 million remodel of the H-E-B on Freddy González. We see it in the new $3 million Olive Garden restaurant, and the new $5 million Cavender’s on University Drive. We see it in a new $14 million Courtyard by Marriott,” Ochoa said. “These new businesses bring jobs, and their millions in retail sales expand our tax base. With an annual population increase of roughly two percent, Edinburg is on a trajectory to exceed 113,000 residents by 2028. And we are blessed with the advantage of space to grow.”
Commercial permit valuations are the total estimated cost of a construction project, including labor and materials, used by local municipalities to calculate permit fees. It is not meant to determine market value of a structure. However, building permits are a vital leading economic indicator, because permits signal that developers and individuals are confident enough in the economy to invest financial resources into new construction and renovations.
Market value for a structure is the estimated price it would sell for in an open, competitive market, heavily influenced by location, condition, and, most importantly, its use type. Residential properties (1-4 units) are valued bycomparing recent sales of similar homes, while commercial properties (5+ units, offices, retail) are valued primarily on the income they generate.
Although a construction permit in Edinburg covers the total estimated value of the physical improvements, which includes the cost of all structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, it does not cover the cost of the land, loose equipment, furnishings, or off-site improvements.
The mayor, who began his first four-year term in office in early November 2025, noted that in 2025, “our city shattered records, reaching ahistoric $407 million in approved total construction valuations — the absolute highest in our history. To put that in perspective, in 1993 total construction valuations were $20 million; in 2009 they were $92 million; and today are over four times that amount.”
According to the city’s Building Construction Department, permit valuations are broken down into numerous key subjects, both on a monthly basis and year-to-date, and provides comparisons to the same periods the previous year, including in the following major categories:
- New Homes
- Residential Alterations
- Multi-Family
- New Commercial Construction
- Commercial Additions/Repairs
As part of the $407 million in permit valuations in 2025, $208,201,626 was the total value of new commercial and commercial alterations/repairs, compared with a total value of $99,111,053 of new commercial and commercial alterations /repairs in 2024.
“That number is not just ink on a ledger – that is the framing of new homes, the opening of new storefronts, and the undeniable dawn of new opportunity. We issued over 7,000 permits and our teams conducted more than 33,000 building inspections, ensuring our rapid growth is anchored in safety and quality,” Ochoa explained.
“If you think this tidal wave of activity would result in a workflow clog, think again,” the mayor noted. “Our Building Safety Department earned national recognition — ranking 4th in the United States and number one in all of Texas for permit approval efficiency in the Red Tape Index.”
The Red Tape Index, launched in August 2025 by Labrynth, is a data-driven benchmark that ranks U.S. states and more than 500 cities based on the efficiency of their construction permitting. It highlights which municipalities approved projects fastest and which cause delays, aiming to accelerate house and infrastructure development.
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=what+is+the+Red+Tape+Index&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
“And we continue to look for efficiencies because we want development in Edinburg,” Ochoa proclaimed. “For you entrepreneurs and business owners, we are cutting through the thicket of red tape and laying down a red carpet for progress.”
Commercial permit valuations are the estimated cost of construction for a project – including labor and materials – used by local building departments to determine permit fees, not to determine market value. This valuation determines the cost of the permit itself and does not represent the market value of the building.
According to the city’s Building Construction Department, permit valuations for new commercial and commercial additions/repairs on an annual basis, during the past five years, follow:
- 2025 – $133,684,763 • Total New Commercial Construction
- 2024 – $68,335,318 • Total New Commercial Construction
- 2023 – $99,515,085 • Total New Commercial Construction (From January through November);
- 2022 – $59,084,723 • Total New Commercial Construction
- 2021 – $100,717,953 • Total New Commercial Construction
•••••
- 2025 – $74,516,863 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs
- 2024 – $30,755,735 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs
- 2023 – $47,940,623 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs (From January through November)
- 2022 – $88,568,091 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs
- 2021 – $85,056,686 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs
The city does not issue building permits for any type of construction for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, which has the largest campus in deep South Texas, along with several other key off-campus sites in the city.
The state government oversees construction projects at UTRGV.
If those new construction and commercial addition/repair amounts at UTRGV were included, the value of the new construction and addition/repairs projects would have added several hundred million dollars to the total amount of total commercial and addition/repairs in Edinburg since 2021.
Highlights of the permit valuations for new commercial and commercial alterations/repairs between November 2025, when Ochoa took office, and April 2026, which is the most recent monthly report issued by the Building Safety Department, follow:
••••••
APRIL 2026
$2,281,154 • Total New Commercial Construction:
Top Investments
- $800,000 – Almar, LLC/Owner, Almar Plaza, 2330 S. I-69;
- $708,769 – Juan Gama/Owner, South Texas Orthopedic Group, 5013 S. Sugar Road, Suite 11;
- $380,000 – Omar Cano/Owner, KNO Plaza, 4107 S. Veterans Boulevard; and
- $354,385 – South Texas Orthopedic/Owner, South Texas Orthopedic Group, 5013 S. Sugar Road, Suite 10.
$1,761,673.04 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs:
Top Investments
- $497,500 – Discount Tire/Owner, Discount Tire, 4109 South McColl;
- $300,000 – Divine Mercy Syro Malabar Catholic Church/Owner, Divine Mercy Church, 300 W. Cano;
- $280,000 – Dulce M. Hernández Law Firm/Owner, Dulce M. Hernández Law Firm, 4451 S. Jackson Road, Suite E;
- $250,000 – Amira Kalifa/Owner, Las Almas Food Hall & Shoppe, 225 E. Cano; and
- $153,548.26 – Advanced Kids Care P.A./Owner, Advanced Kids Care P.A., 5007 S. McColl Road.
••••••
MARCH 2026
$8,125,330 • Total New Commercial Construction:
Top Investments
- $4,821,830 – D-Clutter Storage/Owner, D-Clutter Self-Storage, 4201 N. I-69 C;
- $3,000,000 – John Toic/Owner, Olive Garden Holdings LLC, 605 E. Trenton; and
- $300,000 – Rhodes Development/Owner, Club House, 1725 E. Marquise.
$7,280,672.98 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs:
Top Investments
- $6,000,000 – Davis Equity Realty/Owner, Hidalgo County Appraisal District, 1701 S. Closner;
- $700,100 – Cavender’s Boot City/Owner, Cavender’s Boot City, 2820 W. University Drive; and
- $275,000 – Adam Duffy/Owner, Bath & Body Works, 427 E. Trenton Road, Suite B.
••••••
FEBRUARY 2026
$17,608,000 • Total New Commercial Construction:
Top Investments
- $8,000,000 – Timothy M. Abbott/Owner, Courtyard By Marriott, 700 E. Wisconsin Road;
- $6,500,000 – Bagley Produce/Owner, Bagley Produce, 6801 Democracy Drive;
- $1,449,000 – Rebecca Raymond/Owner, Valvoline Instant Oil Change, 3000 W. Trenton;
- $575,000 – Roberto Acuña, Jr./Owner, Alexandra’s Plaza, 1112 W. Monte Cristo Road;
- $500,000 – John Toic/Owner, Olive Garden Holdings, LLC, 605 E. Trenton;
- $400,000 – Ashley Cantú/Owner, RNR Tire, 2801 S. Business Highway 281; and
- $150,000 – Freddy Elicerio/Owner, Buena Tierra Properties, 916 W. Monte Cristo Road.
$1,976,095 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs:
Top Investments
- $1,200,000 – DD’s Discount Store/Owner, DD’s Discounts, 313 E. Trenton;
- $405,550 – Vanguard Beethoven Academy/Owner, Vanguard Academy, 2214 S. Veterans Boulevard; and
- $150,000 – Academy Sports & Outdoors, 651 E. Trenton Road.
••••••
JANUARY 2026
$654,000 • Total New Commercial Construction:
Top Investment
- $650,000 – Francisco Mina/Owner, Wildcat Commercial Properties, 926 Big Horn.
$1,199,531.00 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs:
Top Investments
- $250,000 – PTCAA Texas LP/Owner, Flying J Travel Center #727, 1305 E. Monte Cristo Road;
- $250,000 – Davis Equity Realty/Owner, Hidalgo County Appraisal District, 1701 S. Closner;
- $169,891 – DHR Health/Owner, DHR Health, 5501 S. McColl Road;
- $109,230 – Kaitlyn Moriarty/Owner, Flying J #727, 1305 E. Monte Cristo Road, and
- $104,330 – Kaitlyn Moriarty/Owner, Flying J #727, 1305 E. Monte Cristo Road.
••••••
DECEMBER 2025
$2,059,000 • Total New Commercial Construction:
Top Investments
- $550,000 – Aldo Iván Ortiz/Owner, RGV CDL Shop, 520 Independence Drive;
- $320,000 – Huan Bui/Owner, 123 Dental, 205 South Pin Oak;
- $300,000 – Metronet Network Cabinet/Owner, Metronet Network Cabinet, 4336 W. Sprague Street;
- $300,000 – Metronet Network Cabinet/Owner, Metronet Network Cabinet, 1823 W. Owassa Road;
- $250,000 – Nakolandia/Owner, Nacolandia Drive Thru, 302 S. Raúl Longoria Road;
- $175,000 – University Village Laundry & Fold/Owner, Laundry & Fold, 500 S. State Highway 336, Building 1; and
- $100,000 – Norton Camarena/Owner, Training Room, 2500 W. Trenton Road.
$7,019,157.67 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs:
Top Investments
- $3,100,000 – Texas Tropical Behavioral Health/Owner, Texas Tropical Behavioral Health, 1901 S. 24th Avenue;
- $3,000,000 – Kaitlyn Moriarty/Owner, Flying J Travel Center #727, 1305 E. Monte Cristo Road;
- $550,000 – James Avery Artisan Jewelry/Owner, James Avery Artisan Jewelry, 427 E. Trenton Road;
- $425,000 – Jimmy Henderson/Owner, Wallen Produce, 3500 Salinas;
- $125,000 – Gilbert Zuñiga/Owner, Hyde Park Subdivision Fence, 2800 Northpoint Drive; and
- $100,000 – Tom Phillips/Owner, Zoho Corporation ECHO Hotel, 1903 S. Closner.
••••••
NOVEMBER 2025
$2,554,000 • Total New Commercial Construction:
Top Investments
- $1,100,000 – Shalom Media USA/Owner, Shalom Prayer Center, 203 E. Wisconsin;
- $425,000 – Jimmy Henderson/Owner, Wallen Produce, 3500 Salinas;
- $320,000 – Daniel Torres/Owner, Corazones Divinos Healthcare LLC, 3400 S. Sugar Road, Suite A01;
- $300,000 – Michael H. Jones/Owner, Amistad Provider Agency, 525 E. Cano Street;
- $200,000 – Yoga House/Owner, Yoga House, 1701 S. McCullers Road, Suite 2; and
- $150,000 – Brianna López/Owner, Little CaesarsPizza, 500 S. State Highway.
$4,158,465.67 • Total Commercial Additions/Repairs:
Top Investments
- $3,000,000 – Kaitlin Moriarty/Owner, Flying J Travel Center #727, 1305 E. Monte Cristo Road;
- $733,000 – Chic-Fil-A/Owner, Chic-Fil-A, 4300 S. I-69C; and
- $125,000 – Gilbert Zuñiga/Owner, Brentwood Manor Subdivision Perimeter Fence, 1801 S. McColl Road.
••••••
The proposed $18 million to $20 million IHG dual-brand hotel development by Binning Hospitality LLC, led by owners Kamaldeep Gill and Kulwinder Binning, is not yet listed on the city’s building permit valuations through April 2026.
But once the city building permit is issued to completely redevelop the existing Comfort Inn and MainStay Suites, it will mark a transformational milestone as a full-service hotel development in Edinburg, according to the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation.
The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) is a Type A entity dedicated to fostering business investment, creating jobs, and driving economic growth in Edinburg. Funded by local sales tax, it assists with business attraction, expansion, site selection, and provides incentives and grants to support the local economy.
Calling it “a landmark investment in the city’s hospitality and tourism sector,” EEDC officials predict the Comfort Inn and MainStay Suites redevelopment will mark an innovativeturning point as a full-service hotel development in Edinburg.
Also according to an EEDC:
• The Comfort Inn and MainStay Suites redevelopment will transform the existing properties into two distinct IHG-branded hotels spanning approximately 84,000 square feet: Staybridge Suites, a four-story, 95–100 room extended-stay hotel; and Holiday Inn, a three-story, 53-room full-service hotel.
• Beyond guest accommodations, the development will introduce a full array of premium amenities open to both hotel guests and the general public — including a full-service restaurant, bar, meeting space, basketball court, outdoor grill and patio, and a spa.
• Upgraded landscaping and new exterior property signage will further enhance the property’s presence along the corridor.
The $18 million to $20 million capital investment is projected to generate an estimated $5.6 million in annual revenue and create 47 full-time positions, delivering meaningful, sustained employment opportunities for Edinburg residents.
A capital investment in construction is the allocation of funds to acquire, build, or significantly improve long-term physical assets – such as buildings, infrastructure, or heavy machinery – designed to provide economic benefits for many years. These are high-cost, non-routine projects aimed at expanding capacity, enhancing efficiency, or extending an asset’s life.
• Project completion is anticipated by March 2028.
“Edinburg has been good to us and our business, so it only made sense to reinvest right here. We already have our hotels in this community, and we see firsthand the growth and opportunity this city offers,” said Kamaldeep Gill, Owner, Binning Hospitality LLC.
“Redeveloping these existing properties into a world-class IHG dual-brand hotel felt like the natural next step. We are proud to bring Edinburg’s first full-service hotel to life, and we look forward to continuing to invest in and grow alongside this incredible community,” Gill added.
“This development is a game-changer for Edinburg. For the first time, our community will have a full-service hotel that can accommodate business travelers, conference guests, and visitors at the level they expect,” said Aaron Rivera, President, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation.
Binning Hospitality LLC is a hospitality ownership group with an established presence in Edinburg. The company is committed to providing quality lodging experiences and reinvesting in the communities where they operate.
IHG Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality company headquartered in Windsor, England, with a portfolio of 21 distinct brands spanning more than 6,900 hotels across over 100 countries. Its brands range from extended-stay and essentials to premium and luxury offerings, including Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, Crowne Plaza, InterContinental, and more.
IHG One Rewards, the company’s loyalty program, counts over 145 million members worldwide. IHG is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol IHG.
••••••
For more on this and other Texas legislative news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).
