by Legislative Media | Oct 20, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Dr. Guy Bailey, President, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, on Saturday, July 23, 2016, addressing the inaugural class of the UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, which opened its $54 million Medical Education Building at the Edinburg campus, welcoming 55 students into its charter class. In a related development, the UT System Board of Regents on Monday, September 26, 2016, unanimously approved the leasing of an approximately 85,000-square-foot facility from Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, which is based in Edinburg, to UTRGV for medical research and educational and clinical uses. The Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation lobby the Texas Legislature and the UT System Board of Regents for advances at UTRGV and the UTRGV School of Medicine in Edinburg.
Photograph By DAVID PIKE
More people continue to move into Edinburg, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced, based on the latest year-to-date figures which show that between January and September 2016, more than $108 million in new homes and multi-family residences were approved for construction. For the month of September 2016, total construction activities during that period totaled more than $13.5 million. Also year-to-date, construction and related building activities for all categories have approached the $180 million level, based on information collected by the city’s Code Enforcement Department. The increasing number of residents in Edinburg is reflected in the most recent population estimates by the U.S. Census Department, which show the city has grown more than 13 percent between April 1, 2010 and July 1, 2015. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Edinburg’s estimated population as of July 1, 2015 was 84,497, compared with 74,541 on April 1, 2010, representing a growth of 13.4 percent. Year-to-date (January through September 2016), building permits were issued for 357 single-family residences, valued at $47,071,342, compared with 257 single family residences, valued at $37,102,917 from January through September 2015. Year-to-date (January through September 2016), building permits were issued for 230 multi-family residences, representing 928 units, valued at $61,655,264, compared with 36 multi-family residences, representing 71 units, valued at $5,365,356, from January through September 2015. The Edinburg EDC, whose executive director is Agustín García, Jr., is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Ruppert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members.
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by Legislative Media | Oct 14, 2016 | Politics
Featured: Letty Reyes, Director of Business Development and Public Affairs, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; and Juan Guerra, City Manager, City of Pharr. Both area leaders on Friday, October 7, 2016 participated in a panel discussion about entrepreneurial innovation during the Fourth Annual Binational Innovation Conference (INNO 2016), which was hosted by South Texas College (STC) in McAllen. The Edinburg EDC was a sponsor of the event. INNO 2016 was held at the STC Technology Campus located at 3700 W. Military Highway in McAllen. Also on the panel, but not shown in this image, were: Keith Patridge, President/CEO, McAllen Economic Development Corporation; Francisco “Frank” Almaraz, CEO, Workforce Solutions, Lower Rio Grande Valley; and Bobby Villarreal, County Executive Director, Hidalgo County.
Photograph By LAURA VELA
Edinburg’s retail economy from January through August 2016 has improved more than 4.6 percent, which is the best showing of all major Rio Grande Valley cities, and better than the statewide average of a 1.1 percent increase of all cities in the state, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. For the month of August 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy – as measured by local sales taxes generated from purchases of eligible goods and services – also remained healthy, showing an almost two percent improvement over the month of August 2015. Those figures are based on sales made in August 2016 by businesses that report tax monthly, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The local sales tax data is among the latest economic barometers featured in a detailed summary provided by the state comptroller’s office, which released retail sales figures on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. During the first eight months of 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy produced $17,592,870.93 in local sales taxes, compared with $16,812,351.02 for January through August 2015, representing an improvement of 4.64 percent. For August 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy generated $1,702,561.82 in local sales taxes, compared with $1,671,788.87 during the same period in 2015, representing the improvement of 1.84 percent, also according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The sales tax, formally known as the State Sales and Use Tax, is imposed on all retail sales, leases and rentals of most goods, as well as taxable services. Texas cities, counties, transit authorities and special purpose districts have the option of imposing an additional local sales tax for a combined total of state and local taxes of 8 1/4% (.0825). The local sales tax is used in Edinburg to help pay for many city services, while the Edinburg EDC uses its one-half cent local sales tax to help generate economic development in the city. The amount of local sales taxes collected also helps reflect the strength of an economy, along with construction activities, per capita income, education, historical performances, and related trends. The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Elías Longoria, Jr., Harvey Rodríguez, Jr., Richard Rupert, and Dr. Peter Dabrowski.
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by Legislative Media | Sep 21, 2016 | Politics
Featured: An interior view of a Bob’s Steak & Chop House, the Dallas-based steakhouse system which has a presence in San Francisco, Tuscon, Nashville, and numerous other locations, and soon, in New York City and Edinburg. Bob’s unique atmosphere combines the old world elegance of rich mahogany booths, a polished bar and white, crisp table linens with modern, business casual attire. Celebrated by a loyal, repeat clientele, as well as new customers seeking more than just a restaurant, the highly-rated steakhouse, which will open locally in 2017, received a building permit from Edinburg’s Code Enforcement Department for the most valuable construction project in August 2016, worth $2.5 million.
Image Courtesy BOB’S STEAK & CHOP HOUSE
Construction and related building activities in Edinburg from January through August 2016 have passed the $166 million level, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has reported, with the month of August 2016 accounting for more than $13.8 million of that amount. The top construction projects in Edinburg for August 2016, not including the value of the land, are: $2,500,000 – First Hartford Realty Corp., 613 E. Trenton Road, The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley Subdivision; $300,000 – Jacob & Jonathan Innovative Construction, 2302 Holland Avenue, Jackson Heights Subdivision; $289,000 – Timoteo Salinas, 4919 June Drive, Summerfield Manor Subdivision; $288,147 – Juan G. Soto, 707 Casa Vieja Street, Tierra Divina Estates Subdivision; and $275,000 – Israel Mata, 1131 N. Monmack Road, Monmack Terrace #2 Subdivision.First Hartford Realty Corp.’s building permit for work value at $2.5 million is for the construction of a 9,000 square-foot Bob’s Steak & Chop House, which will serve as the featured anchor of a 25,000 square-foot restaurants plaza at The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley. The ground breaking ceremony for First Hartford’s Bob’s Steak & Chop House is tentatively set for Tuesday, October 18, 2016, with the grand opening set for Spring 2017, said Peter Higgins, Vice President/Director of Leasing for Leasing at First Hartford Corporation. The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Elías Longoria, Jr., as Secretary/Treasurer, and Richard Ruppert and Dr. Peter Dabrowski as Members. Mayor Richard García and Agustín García, Jr., are not related.
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by Legislative Media | Sep 10, 2016 | Politics
Board members, students, teachers, and staff with the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, along with other community leaders, including Mayor Pro Tem Richard Molina, recognized Sgt. Francisco Barrientes on Wednesday, September 7, 2016, during a public celebration of the 10th anniversary of naming Barrientes Middle School in his honor. Featured, from left: ECISD Superintendent Dr. René Gutiérrez; ECISD School Board Member Carmen González; Alex Ríos, District Director for State Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg; Sgt. Francisco Barrientes; Edinburg Mayor Pro Tem Richard Molina; Robert López, Principal, Barrientes Middle School; Eva T. Torres, ECISD Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction; and ECISD School Board Member Ellie M. Torres, the immediate past Secretary/Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation. The Edinburg EDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. Mayor Pro Tem Molina is one of two veterans who serve on City Council. Mayor Richard H. García is also a U.S. Army veteran.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Edinburg’s retail economy during July 2016 showed a more than 3.4 percent improvement over July 2015, which was the second-best showing among all major Valley cities – and much better than the statewide average for all cities in Texas, which was down 1.6 percent from the same month last year, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. For the first seven months of 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy – as measured by local sales taxes generated from purchases of eligible goods and services – also remained healthy, showing an almost five percent improvement over January through July 2015. During the first seven months of 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy produced $15,890,309.11 in local sales taxes, compared with $15,140,562.15 for January through July 2016, representing an improvement of 4.95 percent.For July 2016, Edinburg’s retail economy generated $1,601,962.79 in local sales taxes, compared with $1,549,113.91 during the same period in 2015, representing the improvement of 3.41 percent, also according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The local sales tax is used in Edinburg to help pay for many city services, while the Edinburg EDC uses its one-half cent local sales tax to help generate economic development in the city. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mayor Richard García as President, Elías Longoria, Jr., Harvey Rodríguez, Jr., Richard Rupert, and Dr. Peter Dabrowski.
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by Legislative Media | Aug 19, 2016 | Politics
Featured, from left: McAllen Mayor Jim Darling; Edinburg Mayor Richard García; Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernández, M.D.; and University of Texas System Chancellor William H. McRaven on Thursday, August 11, 2016 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance. The leaders participated in a panel discussion about the UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, which has a major component in Edinburg. The Edinburg Mayor, Edinburg City Council, and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation played key roles in 2013 in securing a full-fledged medical school from the Texas Legislature for deep South Texas. In July 2016, the first class of medical students began their education at the $54 million Medical Education Building, which is located on the UTRGV campus in Edinburg.
Photograph By DAVID PIKE
Construction and related building activities in Edinburg from January through July 2016 have passed the $152 million level, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has reported, with the month of July 2016 accounting for almost $21 million of that amount. The Edinburg EDC, of which Agustín García, Jr. is Executive Director, is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg Mayor and Edinburg City Council. The Edinburg EDC Board of Directors is comprised of Mark Iglesias as President, Harvey Rodríguez, Jr. as Vice President, Ellie M. Torres as Secretary/Treasurer, and Mayor Richard García and Richard Ruppert as Members. Combined, building permits from January through July 2016 were issued for work valued at $152,426,011 compared with $78,554,684 for the same seven months in 2015. During July 2016, building permits for work valued at $20,681,153 were issued by the city, compared with $13,330,130 in July 2015. The top construction projects in Edinburg for July 2016, not including the value of the land, are: $9,430,920 – Wisconsin Street Housing LP, 2132 E. Wisconsin Rd., John Closner Subdivision; $2,800,000 – Edinburg Village Apartments, 701 S. 4th Avenue, Maverick Subdivision; $960,000 – Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, 1202 N. Monmack Rd., Tex-Mex Subdivision; and $379,259 – South Texas Independent School District, 510 S. Sugar Rd., Tex-Mex Subdivision.
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