Economic Snapshot of the Rio Grande Valley

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Nationally recognized … here for you.

South Texas Health System has a passion for excellence and a culture of caring that inspires us to do more, and that’s getting us noticed.

• Advanced Level III designated trauma services at McAllen Medical Center • Level IV designated trauma services at Edinburg Regional Medical Center and McAllen Heart Hospital

Healthgrades, a U.S. company that evaluates healthcare quality, has named McAllen Heart Hospital as one of • America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery • America’s 100 Best in Coronary Intervention • America’s 100 Best in Overall Cardiac Care

• Certified Pediatric Asthma Program at Edinburg Children’s Hospital and designated as a Center of Excellence • Certified Primary Stroke Centers at Edinburg Regional Medical Center and McAllen Medical Center

AMERICA’S

• Accredited Chest Pain Centers at McAllen Heart Hospital (with PCI) and Edinburg Regional Medical Center • Nationally accredited Bariatric Center at McAllen Heart Hospital • South Texas Health System is accredited by The Joint Commission

100 BEST

2017

2017

CARDIAC CARE™

• Certified Total Knee Replacement Program at McAllen Medical Center

AMERICA’S

100 BEST

CORONARY INTERVENTION™

Only 19 hospitals in the nation received all three awards. McAllen Heart Hospital is the only hospital in the Valley* to be recognized among Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Services in 2017.

Learn more about our award-winning healthcare at southtexashealthsystem.com Get social with us *Valley includes hospitals in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties.

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Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of South Texas Health System. The system shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimination notice, visit our website. 172632

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CONTENTS Welcome................................................................................... 7 Board of Directors............................................................... 10 Economic Development Allies..................................... 14-15 City Partners......................................................................... 16 Population Trends..........................................................22-24 Economy Overview.............................................................25 Building Permit Barometer.........................................36-37 Rio Grande Valley Workflow.............................................38 Rio Grande Valley Trade Overview............. 40-41, 44-45 Rio Grande Valley, Texas Map....................................42-43 Rio Grande Valley Business Summary................... 46-47 Foreign Trade Zones...........................................................54 Port Level Activity................................................................55 Bridge Crossings..................................................................58 Airport Traffic....................................................................... 59 Hospitals ...............................................................................62 Educational Pipeline...........................................................63 Vocational and Technical Schools...................................69 High School Enrollment.................................................... 70 Universities & Colleges........................................................71 Federal Legislators..............................................................78 State Legislators..................................................................79 Thanks to our Contributors........................................ 80-81 4

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ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Rio Grande Valley Partnership - Publisher/Editor © 2018 All Rights Reserved.

The Rio Grande Valley Economic Snapshot is published biennially by: Rio Grande Valley Partnership 322 South Missouri Avenue • Weslaco, Texas 78596 (956) 968-3141 • www.rgvpartnership.com Chairman of the Board Brent Baldree President/CEO Sergio Contreras Admin. Assistant/ Business Barometer Sandra De Los Santos

Publication/ Media Director Kristi Collier Membership Director Monica Sanchez Finance Director Dulce Martinez

The Rio Grande Valley Economic Snapshot is published biennially and distributed by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, 322 South Missouri Ave, Weslaco, TX. Copyright 2018 filed by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership – All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, disseminated, published, or transferred in any form or by any means, except with prior written permission of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. The publisher gratefully acknowledges the contributions of each community and artist toward the esthetic compilation of this issue. Rio Grande Valley Partnership’s publishing is neither a sponsor of or committed to the views expressed in these articles. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information and listings contained herein, the Rio Grande Valley Partnership assumes no liability for errors or omissions. We extend our most sincere gratitude and appreciation to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Data and Information Systems Center. Furthermore; we thank our State and Federal Officials, City and County Officials, Chamber Partners, Navigation Districts, School Districts, Ports of Entry, TXDOT, Economic Development Corporations and all connected allies of the Rio Grande Valley.

Cover Images Credit:

Cameron County: Courtesy of Port of Brownsville; Hidalgo County: Courtesy of City of McAllen/La Plaza Mall (Abel Riojas); Starr County: Courtesy of Rio Grande City; Willacy County: Courtesy of Willacy Co.

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WELCOME hank you for your interest in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, sometimes referred to as the Magic Valley. The Economic Snapshot of the Rio Grande Valley will showcase the success of our partners, the economy, and key demographic trends in our region.

The Rio Grande Valley Partnership advocates for economic prosperity across our four-county region. We work hand-inhand with the community’s business-minded leaders to be the primary voice for the business community in the Valley, promoting business-friendly policies and the advancement of our members. The RGV Partnership works closely with local, state, and national elected leaders to create awareness of both our unique challenges and exciting opportunities in our region.

As of 2017, our population is approximately 1.4 million, growing by 68,360. This represents an increase of 5.2% since 2012. The rapid growth, strong economy, and young, dynamic workforce in our region calls for the RGV Partnership to be in the driver’s seat, creating a spirit of collaboration among the business community and our government/public entities and securing investment in education, economic development, healthcare, transportation, international trade, and water resources.

We are counting on your input and participation as we work to make our region’s economy stronger so we can all prosper.

Sergio Contreras President RGV Partnership ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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Beneath clear blue skies and in an area christened as the Hill Country of the Valley, you will find a small Texas town that, since 1846, has beckoned dreamers, entrepreneurs, and adventurers to chart their own paths to prosperity. Today, Rio Grande City continues to serve as a front door for opportunity and a gateway to success. Businesses that wish to root themselves in this city will be able to find genuine hospitality, vibrant history, and a welcoming charm, without equal.

Ideally located on the border of the United States and Mexico, Rio Grande City provides the shortest connection between Mexico’s largest manufacturing center in Monterrey and one of our country’s top distribution locations in North Central Texas via Mexico’s federal highway, Ruta 54.

Businesses looking to relocate within this thriving path Rio Grande City provides can find a connected and growing community that offers a business-friendly atmosphere, a dynamic workforce, and an abundance of modern conveniences with small-town appeal. Residents can enjoy remarkable, affordable living below the national average and live in one of the best places in the United States for income growth.

Ranked institutions of higher education are within reach at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley - Rio Grande City Campus and South Texas College - Starr County Campus, collectively offering over 240 degree and certificate-program options and collaborating with local school districts to provide dual-enrollment programs.

Our binational, bicultural, bilingual population prefers to shop, dine, work, and play in the secure and welcoming environment Rio Grande City provides. The city has plenty to offer, with outdoor activities, parks, hiking and biking trails, nearby water sports, fishing, and horseback riding. It is also an ideal destination for anyone who loves history. Visitors can peek into Rio Grande City’s past onboard Bessie III, a trolley bus named after the first steamboat that connected the city to neighboring communities along the Rio Grande River. For those seeking more adventurous activities, the city is home to the popular Fordyce Trails, which consist of hiking, running, and biking trails running through 200 acres of native brush, rising slopes, and lush meadows. Rio Grande City is in close proximity to the best freshwater fishing lake in South Texas at Falcon State Park and to Sugar Lake, in nearby Comales, Mexico, allowing anglers to fish to their heart’s content. Hunters are also drawn to Rio Grande City’s surrounding ranchlands for supreme, seasonal whitetail-deer and white-winged-dove hunting.

With genuine hospitality, vibrant history, and a welcoming charm, Rio Grande City continues to offer opportunities and success to newcomers.

Come and discover the many reasons why so many have made Rio Grande City home.

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Board of Directors Brent Baldree (Hidalgo Co.) Chairman Texas Regional Bank Anabell Cardona (Hidalgo Co.) Immediate Past Chair Valley Grande Institute Danny Gurwitz (Hidalgo Co.) Chair Elect Atlas, Hall & Rodriguez, LLP Larry Gonzalez (Hidalgo Co.) Treasurer Plains Capital Bank Deborah Cordova (Hidalgo Co.) Secretary Kittleman Thomas, PLLC. Billy Canales (Starr Co.) Vice-Chairman Rio Motor Company

Ruben Cardenas (Hidalgo Co.) State Farm

Ramiro Garza (Hidalgo Co.) NTB Development

Ralph Cowen (Cameron Co.) Port of Brownsville

Matthew Jones (Hidalgo Co.) Jones, Galligan, Key & Lozano, L.L.P

Javier De Leon (Cameron Co.) Texas State Technical College

Jon Rebello (Cameron Co.) BBVA Compass

Arlene Garza (Cameron Co.) Gulf Aviation

Joey Trevino (Hidalgo Co.) Raba Kistner

Atanacio Hinojosa (Hidalgo Co.) Magic Valley Electric Cooperative

Matt Wolthoff (Hidalgo Co.) Rio Grande Regional Hospital

Brenda Ivory (Cameron Co.) Harlingen Medical Center

David Allex (Cameron Co.) Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority

Dr. Mark Kroll (Cameron Co.) UTRGV Daniel Lucio (Cameron Co.) AEP

Spencer Bell (Hidalgo Co.) Vice-Chairman AHEC Properties

Jose Munoz (Hidalgo Co.) Guzman & Munoz Surveying & Engineering

Lew Brownfield (Willacy Co.) Vice-Chairman VTX1

Trey Pebley (Hidalgo Co.) Foremost Paving

Lee Reed (Cameron Co.) Vice-Chairman International Bank of Commerce Thomas Aguillon (Regional) Charter Communications

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

J.D. Salinas (Regional) AT&T Kent Shepard (Hidalgo Co.) Shepard Insurance Agency

Linda Guerrero Declia (Cameron Co.) KGBT-TV CBS4 News Gus Garcia (Hidalgo Co.) Edinburg EDC Raudel Garza (Cameron Co.) Harlingen EDC Roxanne Ray (Cameron Co.) South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce Roberto Hadadd (Hidalgo Co.) Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Danny Rios (Hidalgo Co.) S&B Infrastructure

Tom Torkelson (Hidalgo Co.) IDEA Public Schools

Dr. Claudia E. Rodriguez (Cameron Co.) Lower Valley Dental Associates

Kevin Campbell (Cameron Co.) S.R. Campbell Properties

Rigo Villarreal (Hidalgo Co.) McAllen-Anzalduas International Bridge

Francisco Davila (Hidalgo Co.) Lone Star National Bank

Rene Capistran (Hidalgo Co.) Noble Texas Builders, LLC

Tom Capps (Cameron Co.) Texas Gas Service

Megan Thomas Drake (Cameron Co.) Valley Baptist Health System

Ruben Bosquez (Hidalgo Co.) Frost Bank

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DID YOU KNOW?

PHARR,TEXAS

DAILY COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC:

LEADERS IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2,300 2,100

NORTHBOUND TRUCKS SOUTHBOUND TRUCKS

DAILY NON - COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC:

PHARR INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE CROSSES 6% OF ALL U.S. IMPORTS AND 5% OF ALL U.S. EXPORTS.

3,600 3,100

$30 BILLION MEXICO USD

NORTHBOUND CARS SOUTHBOUND CARS

IN TOTAL TRADE WITH

#1

LAND PORT OF ENTRY FOR FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

4

LARGEST U.S. PORT OF ENTRY WITH MEXICO

6th

LARGEST GATEWAY OF ALL U.S. AIRPORTS, AND LAND AND SEA PORTS OF ENTRY

th

3-5%

YEARLY GROWTH IN IMPORTS

2-4%

YEARLY GROWTH IN EXPORTS

70%

OF ALL TRADE CROSSINGS ARE MANUFACTURING

30%

OF ALL TRADE CROSSINGS ARE PRODUCE 50% OR MORE EXPECTED GROWTH IN THE NEXT 3-5 YEARS

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CROSSING 60% OF ALL FRESH PRODUCE TRAVELING NORTHBOUND

PHARR,TEXAS

LEADERS IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE TEXAS TRADING CORRIDOR FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Located at the intersection of key international trade and transportation corridors, Pharr is a main point of entry for trade, providing air, sea, and land access to international and domestic markets.

YOUR BRIDGE TO INTERNATIONAL MARKETS The strategic location of the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge provides direct access to major transportation hubs, making it one of the most attractive logistical points in the region.

STRONG RETAIL DEVELOPMENT In recent years, Pharr has welcomed a variety of companies in an ever-growing local and international consumer market with a great potential for further retail development.

STATE & REGIONAL ECONOMIC INCENTIVES The City of Pharr is committed to providing the best possible incentives to grow the economy and promote strong, balanced development in our region. Incentive opportunities include: • Texas Enterprise Fund • Texas Small Business Fund • Emerging Technology Program • Pollution Control Equipment Incentive • Tax Exempt Industrial Revenue Bonds

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Cancer Prevention and Research Bonds • Renewable Energy Incentives • Permit Assistance Plus, we have so much more to offer! We invite you to come speak with us about opportunities that may benefit your business.

1215 South Cage Blvd Pharr, TX 78577

POPULATION

75,382

TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS

19,699

AVERAGE HH INCOME

$33,268

Phone: (956) 402-4EDC E-mail:SNAPSHOT pedc@pharr-tx.gov ECONOMIC OF THE 13 RIO GRANDE VALLEY Web: www.pharredc.com

Economic Development Allies All Counties

Cameron County

Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council 301 W. Railroad Weslaco, TX 78596 (956) 682-3481 www.lrgvdc.org

Brownsville Economic Development Council 301 Mexico Blvd., Suite F-1 Brownsville, TX 78520 (956) 546-4357 www.bedc.com

Rio South Texas Economic Council 301 W. Railroad Bldg D Weslaco, TX 78596 (956) 647-7832 www.riosouthtexas.com

Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation P.O. Box 911 Brownsville, TX 78522 (956) 541-1183

Starr County Starr County Industrial Foundation 601 E. Main St. Rio Grande City, TX 78582 (956) 487-2709 www.starrcounty.org Escobares Industrial Foundation P.O. Box 907 Escobares, TX 78584 (956) 847-1200 Rio Grande City Economic Development Corporation 5332 East US 83, Ste. B Rio Grande City, TX 78582 (956) 487-3476 www.rgcedc.org Roma Economic Development Corporation 77 Convent/P.O. Box 947 Roma, TX 78584 (956) 849-1411 www.cityofroma.net

Willacy County Raymondville Economic Development Corporation 700 FM 3168 Ste. 2 Raymondville, TX 78580 (956) 689-1862 www.raymondvilletx.us

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Harlingen Economic Development Corporation 2424 Boxwood St., Suite 125 Harlingen, TX 78550 (956) 216-5081 www.harlingenedc.com Laguna Vista Community Development Corporation 122 Fernandez St. Laguna Vista, TX 78578 (956) 943-1793 www.lvtexas.com/cdc.php Los Frensos Community Development Corporation 200 N. Brazil Street Los Fresnos, TX 78566 (956) 233-5768 Port Isabel Economic Development Corporation 305 E. Maxan St. Port Isabel, TX 78578 (956) 943-0705 www.portisabel-texas.com/edc San Benito Economic Development Corporation 401 N. Sam Houston Blvd.

San Benito, TX 78586 (956) 361-3804 www.sanbenitobusiness.com South Padre Island Economic Development Corporation 6801 Padre Blvd.

South Padre Island, TX 78597 (956) 761-6805 www.southpadreislandedc.com

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY Hidalgo County Hidalgo County Economic Development 100 E. Cano Edinburg, TX 78539 (956) 318-2600 www.hidalgocounty.us

Mercedes Economic Development Corporation 417 S. Ohio Ave. Mercedes, TX 78570 (956) 565-2230 www.mercedesedc.com

Alamo Economic Development Corporation 715 E. Business 83 Alamo, TX 78516 (956) 787-6622 www.alamoedc.org

Mission Economic Development Corporation 801 N. Bryan Rd. Mission, TX 78572 (956) 585-0040 www.missionedc.com

City of Alton Development Corporation 104 S. San Roman Alton, TX 78573 (956) 432-0760 www.alton-tx.gov/economicdevelopment

Palmview Economic Development Corporation 400 W. Veterans Blvd.

Palmview, TX 78572 (956) 432-0300

Donna Economic Development Corporation 127 S. 8th St. Donna, TX 78537 (956) 998-7833 www.cityofdonna.org

Penitas Economic Development Corporation 111 S. Main St. Penitas, TX 78576 (956) 581-3345 www.cityofpenitas.com

Edinburg Economic Development Corporation 101 N. 10th Ave. Edinburg, TX 78541 (956) 383-7124 www.edinburgedc.com

Pharr Economic Development Corporation 118 S. Cage Blvd.

Pharr, TX 78577 (956) 402-4332 www.pharredc.com

Elsa Industrial Development Corporation 102 S. Diana St Elsa, TX 78543 (956) 262-2127

San Juan Economic Development Corporation 4810 N. Raul Longoria, Suite 5 San Juan, TX 78589 (956) 783-3448 www.sjedc.com

Hidalgo Economic Development Corporation 900 S. Bridge St. Hidalgo, TX 78557 (956) 843-7400 www.hidalgoedc.com La Joya Economic Development Corporation 101 N. Leo Ave. La Joya, TX 78560 (956) 581-7002 www.cityoflajoya.com McAllen Economic Development Corporation 6401 S. 33rd Street McAllen, TX 78503 (956) 682-2875 www.mcallenedc.com

Sullivan City Economic Development Corporation 500 Cenizo Sullivan City, TX 78595 (956) 485-2828 www.sullivancity.org The Economic Development Corporation of Weslaco 275 S. Kansas St., Ste A Weslaco, TX 78596 (956) 969-0838 www.weslacoedc.com

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ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

City Partners City of Alamo

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

City of La Villa

City of Progreso

420 N. Tower Road............... (956) 787-0006 Alamo, TX 78516

P.O. Box 60................................. (956) 262-2122 La Villa, TX 78562

300 N. FM 1015....................... (956) 565-0241 Progreso, TX 78579

City of Alton

Town of Laguna Vista

City of Progreso Lakes

104 S. San Roman.................. (956) 432-0760 Alton, TX 78573

122 Fernandez St......................(956) 943-1793 Laguna Vista, TX 78578

631 Lake Way Dr..................... (956) 565-3602 Progreso Lakes, TX 78579

City of Bayview

City of Los Fresnos

Town of Rancho Viejo

102 S. San Roman...................(956) 233-6445 Bayview, TX 78566

200 N. Brazil............................. (956) 233-5768 Los Fresnos, TX 78566

3301 Carmen Ave...................(956) 350-4093 Rancho Viejo, TX 78575

City of Brownsville

City of Los Indios

City of Raymondville

1001 E. Elizabeth.....................(956) 546-4357 Brownsville, TX 78520

P.O. Box 369..............................(956) 399-4255 Los Indios, TX 78567

142 S. 7th St...............................(956) 689-2443 Raymondville, TX 78580

Town of Combes

City of Lyford

City of Rio Grande City

P.O. Box 280...............................(956) 425-7131 Combes, TX 78537

13550 Main................................. (956) 347-3512 Lyford, TX 78569

5332 E. US Highway 83........(956) 487-0672 Rio Grande City, TX 78582

City of Donna

City of McAllen

City of Rio Hondo

307 S. 12th Street.................... (956) 464-3314 Donna, TX 78537

1300 Houston Ave..................(956) 681-1000 McAllen, TX 78501

P.O. Box 389...............................(956) 748-2102 Rio Hondo, TX 78583

City of Edcouch

City of Mercedes

City of Roma

211 Southern Ave..................... (956) 262-2140 Edcouch, TX 78538

400 S. Ohio................................ (956) 565-3114 Mercedes, TX 78570

205 W. Lincoln............................(956) 849-1411 Roma, TX 78584

City of Edinburg

City of Mission

City of San Benito

415 W. University Drive.........(956) 388-8204 Edinburg, TX 78539

1201 E. 8th St.......................... (956) 580-8650 Mission, TX 78572

401 N. Sam Houston Blvd....(956) 361-3800 San Benito, TX 78586

City of Elsa

City of Palm Valley

City of San Juan

P.O. Box 427............................... (956) 262-2127 Elsa, TX 78543

1313 N. Stuart Place Rd........ (956) 423-8384 Palm Valley, TX 78552

709 S. Nebraska.................... (956) 702-6400 San Juan, TX 78589

Escobares City Hall

City of Palmhurst

City of San Perlita

P.O. Box 907..............................(956) 847-1200 Escobares, TX 78584

4417 N. Shary Rd.....................(956) 583-8697 Palmhurst, TX 78573

P.O. Box 121................................(956) 248-5725 San Perlita, TX 78598

City of Harlingen

City of Palmview

City of Santa Rosa

118 East Tyler............................ (956) 216-5001 Harlingen, TX 78550

400 W. Veterans Blvd...............(956) 581-7411 Palmview, TX 78572

413 S. Santa Cruz....................... (956) 636-1113 Santa Rosa, TX 78593

City of Hidalgo

City of Penitas

South Padre Island

704 E. Texano Drive................(956) 843-2286 Hidalgo, TX 78557

1111 S. Main.................................(956) 581-3345 Penitas, TX 78576

4601 Padre Blvd.......................(956) 761-6456 South Padre Island, TX 78597

City of La Feria

City of Pharr

City of Sullivan City

115 E. Commercial Ave.............(956) 797-2261 La Feria, TX 78559

1215 S. Cage..............................(956) 702-5335 Pharr, TX 78577

500 Cenizo Dr..........................(956) 485-2828 Sullivan City, TX 78595

City of La Grulla

City of Port Isabel

City of Weslaco

P.O. Box 197................................(956) 487-3341 La Grulla, TX 78548

305 E. Maxan...........................(956) 943-2682 Port Isabel, TX 78578

City of La Joya

City of Primera

P.O. Box H..................................(956) 581-7002 La Joya, TX 78560

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22893 Stuart Place Rd..........(956) 423-9654 Primera, TX 78552

255 S. Kansas Ave....................(956) 968-3181 Weslaco, TX 78596

Make

PORT ISABEL & the

Port Isabel Economic Development Corporation part of your business strategy!

With abundant waterfront, a vibrant downtown, a strong business community, high traďŹƒc count, museums, lighthouse, parks, great schools, library, event & cultural center and home to cultu the Port Isabel-San Benito Navigation District, PORT ISABEL oers a bright future to your business plan.

Port Isabel is located in eastern Cameron County, just 2.6 miles from South Padre Island.

portisabeltx

portisabeltexas

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The City of Alamo is a great place to do business.

As part of one of the fastest growing regions in the State of Texas, the City of Alamo offers businesses plenty of opportunities for growth and success.

It has a Retail Trade Area population of 109,000 within a 10-minute drive and retail demand potential of $500 million.

The city has 2.5 miles of frontage along Interstate 2, with daily traffic counts of 119,480.

Approximately 100 commercially zoned acres are primed for development on either side of Interstate 2.

TOURISM

Stay in Alamo. See it All! The City of Alamo welcomes thousands of visitors every year who make their way to South Texas to take advantage of the warm climate, nature and wildlife, and our unique cross-border cultural. Two examples of sites visitors don’t want to miss are Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine.

Santa Ana is known as the jewel of the National W i l d l i fe Refuge System. It welcomes 132,000 visitors a year. Visitors to Santa Ana get to experience NEW BUSINESS With a vibrant business environment, it is no over 400 species of beautiful, rare birds and half wonder the City of Alamo is able to welcome of all species of butterflies in North America, all businesses such as Ci Logistics, Medek LLC, and situated on 2,088 acres.

The Heights of Alamo. These projects represent over $5 million in In the Rio Grande Valley, hundreds are drawn to p r i v a t e , the shrine dedicated to Our Lady of San Juan del c o m m e r c i a l Valle, and the number of pilgrims continues to i n v e s t m e n t grow. Averaging more than one million visitors a in the City of year (20,000 a weekend), it is one of the most visited shrines in the United States. Its proximity Alamo. to the City of Alamo has led to the development of hotels such as La Quinta, La Copa, and Texas Inn. Many who visit the Shrine choose to stay at RETAIL the historic Alamo Inn in Downtown Alamo.

The City of Alamo has a robust retail environment.

Among Alamo’s anchor tenants are Wal-Mart, H-E-B, and the Alamo Mercadome. Additional retailers in the city include Bealls, Cato Fashions, Walgreens, CVS, and Morelos Supermarket. The Alamo retail sector has a commercial vacancy rate of 3.4 percent.

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The Port of Brownsville The port that works

A

major center for intermodal transportation and industrial development, the Port of Brownsville is the only deepwater seaport directly on the U.S./Mexico border. At the southernmost tip of Texas and connected to the Gulf of Mexico by a 17-mile-long ship channel, the Port of Brownsville is also the largest land-owning public port authority in the nation with approximately 40,000 acres. In 2016, the port received full congressional authorization to deepen the ship channel from 42 feet to 52 feet, ranking it among the deepest channels on the Gulf of Mexico, upon completion.

The port’s intermodal transportation system is geared to move cargo by rail, vessel, barge, truck, and pipeline. The port facilitates the movement of goods between Mexico and the United States, linking the land transportation system of Mexico with the world via ocean-going vessels, while the Brownsville Ship Channel links Mexico to the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway and the Inland Waterway System of the U.S. A component unit of the Port, the Brownsville & Rio Grande International Railway/OmniTRAX provides port customers efficient and reliable railroad service.

BRG interconnects with Union Pacific Railroad

Overall Docking Facilities • • • • •

Approximately 40,000 acres of land 1+ million square feet open storage 3+ million square feet covered storage 13 cargo docks 5 liquid cargo docks (a sixth liquid cargo dock under construction in 2017)

and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad for northbound cargo and with Kansas City Southern De Mexico for southbound cargo.

Additionally, OmniTRAX and the port are collaborating to develop an industrial hub consisting of 1,200 acres only eight miles from the Texas/Mexico border, offering master-planned industrial park sites within close proximity to the highway, rail, and ship channel for full-service freight connectivity nationally and internationally.

Primary Commodities Steel slabs, plates, wire rod, hot- and cold-rolled steel, beams, pipe, pig iron, ingots, and chrome ore Petroleum, including lubricants, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, No. 6 oil, naphtha, vacuum, gas oils Wax, latex, asphalt, aluminum, machinery, windmill components, barite, pet coke, scrap metals, limestone, sand, grain, sugar, rutile ore, bauxite, minerals, and salt Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 FTZ No. 62 has consistently ranked in the top three FTZs nationwide since 2012 for the value of exports.

The Port routinely exports commodities valued at more than $3 billion annually.

Economic Impact • • • •

44,036 Texas jobs created by Port activity $3 billion of total state economic activity $164.4 million in federal, state, and local taxes $2.2 billion total personal income and local consumption

Source: The Economic Impacts of the Port of Brownsville, 2015, Martin Associates ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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by Geographic Distribution

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Sensus 2010, Annual Estimates of the Resident Population, 2016.

Raymondville 11,117

Roma 10,265

Rio Grande City

Alton

14,482

16,895

Edinburg 87,650

Penitas 4,854

San Juan

142,212

5,745

Primera

Elsa

McAllen

Palmview

4,749

6,624

36,663

Weslaco

Mission

La Feria

40,033

83,563

Pharr

77,320 Hidalgo 13,831

Harlingen

7,271

65,539

Alamo

19,220 Donna 16,518

Progreso

Mercedes

San Benito

16,624

24,476

5,923

Port Isabel 5,019

Los Fresno 6,651

25

4K to <10K

10K to <50K

50K to < 100K

TOP

CITIES

IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY

BY POPULATION Cameron County 406,220

Brownsville

2010-2016 Change 3.9%

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

� IO G� €NDE V€LLEY

2017

by Geographic Dis

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, S Annual Estimates of the Resident

1. Brownsville 2. McAllen 3. Edinburg 4. Mission 5. Pharr 6. Harlingen Roma 7.

Weslaco Rio Grande City 8. San Juan 9. San Benito 10. Alamo 11. Alton 4K to <10K 12. Mercedes 10K to <50K 13. Donna 10,265

14,482

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

Rio Grande City Hidalgo Raymondville Roma La Feria Los Fresnos Elsa Progreso Edinburg Palmview 87,650 Port Isabel McAllen San Juan 142,212 Penitas Mission Primera 83,563 Pharr Alam Penitas 4,854

Palmview 5,745

36,663

77,320 Hidalgo

19,220

13,831

50K to < 100K 100K +

Hidalgo County 774,769

1. Brownsville 8. San Juan 15. Hidalgo 22. Palmview 2.

McAllen 9.

San Benito 16.

Raymondville 23. Port Isabel Willacy County Starr County 2010-2016 3. Edinburg 10. Alamo 17. Roma 24. Penitas 22,134 60,968 Change 5.2% 4. Mission 11. Alton 18. La Feria 25. Primera 5. Pharr 12. Mercedes 19. Los Fresnos OF THE Harlingen SNAPSHOT 13. Donna 20. Elsa 22 6. ECONOMIC GRANDE14.

VALLEY 7. RIO Weslaco Rio Grande City 21. Progreso 22

183,823

100K +

2010-2016 Change 9.7% 2010-2016 Cameron County Change -1.5% 406,220

C

Starr County 60,968

C

2010-2 016 CITY & COUN T RY POPULAT IO N Census 2010

2016 Estimate

% Change 2010-2016

% Change 2010-2016

CAMERON COUNTY Bayview Brownsville Combes Harlingen Indian Lake La Feria Laguna Vista Los Fresnos Los Indios Palm Valley Port Isabel Primera Rancho Viejo Rio Hondo San Benito Santa Rosa South Padre Island Balance of Cameron County

406,220 383 175,023 2,895 64,849 640 7,302 3,117 5,542 1,083 1,304 5,006 4,070 2,437 2,356 24,250 2,873 2,816 100,274

422,135 395 183,823 3,055 65,539 655 7,271 3,200 6,651 1,063 1,292 5,019 4,749 2,494 2,613 24,476 2,852 2,874 104,114

15,915 12 8,800 160 690 15 -31 83 1,109 -20 -12 13 679 57 257 226 -21 58 3,840

3.9% 3.1% 5.0% 5.5% 1.1% 2.3% -0.4% 2.7% 20.0% -1.8% -0.9% 0.3% 16.7% 2.3% 10.9% 0.9% -0.7% 2.1% 3.8%

HIDALGO COUNTY Alamo Alton Donna Edcouch Edinburg Elsa Granjeno Hidalgo La Joya La Villa McAllen Mercedes Mission Palmhurst Palmview Penitas Pharr Progreso Progreso Lakes San Juan Sullivan City Weslaco Balance of Hidalgo County

774,769 18,353 12,341 15,798 3,161 77,100 5,660 293 11,198 3,985 1,957 129,877 15,570 77,058 2,607 5,460 4,403 70,400 5,507 240 33,856 4,002 35,670 240,273

849,843 19,220 16,895 16,518 3,365 87,650 6,624 300 13,831 4,293 2,664 142,212 16,624 83,563 2,718 5,745 4,854 77,320 5,923 252 36,663 4,194 40,033 258,382

75,074 867 4,554 720 204 10,550 964 7 2,633 308 707 12,335 1,054 6,505 111 285 451 6,920 416 12 2,807 192 4,363 18,109

9.7% 4.7% 36.9% 4.6% 6.5% 13.7% 17.0% 2.4% 23.5% 7.7% 36.1% 9.5% 6.8% 8.4% 4.3% 5.2% 10.2% 9.8% 7.6% 5.0% 8.3% 4.8% 12.2% 7.5%

STARR COUNTY Escobares La Grulla Rio Grande City Roma Balance of Starr County

60,968 1,188 1,622 13,834 9,765 34,559

64,122 2,487 1,706 14,483 10,265 35,181

3,154 1,299 84 649 500 622

5.2% 109.3% 5.2% 4.7% 5.1% 1.8%

WILLACY COUNTY Lyford Raymondville San Perlita Balance of Willacy County

22,134 2,611 11,284 573 7,666

21,810 2,589 11,117 567 7,486

-324 -22 -167 -6 -180

-1.5% -0.8% -1.5% -1.0% -2.3%

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

1,264,091 25,145,561 308,745,538

1,357,910 27,862,596 323,127,513

93,819 2,717,035 14,381,975

7.4% 10.8% 4.7%

Texas United States Workforce Solutions - EMSI

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

23

POPULATION TRENDS As of 2017, the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population increased by 5.2% since 2012, growing by 68,360. Population is expected to increase by 4.5% between 2017 and 2022, adding 61,438.

USA

LO

279,551

HI

LO

158,917

HI

Millennials

Retiring Soon

Your millenials Yourarea areahas has 279,551 279,551 millenials (ages 20-34). (ages 20-34). The national average The national average for for an area this size is 281,801. an area this size is 281,801.

Retirement risk is low in your area.

Retirement risk is average low in yourfor area.

The national an area this size The national average foris an area 206,940 (65 or older), this size ispeople 206, 940 people 65 or while there are 158,917 here. older, while there are 158,917 here.

Workforce Solutions - EMSI

24

USA

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

ECONOMY OVERVIEW Population Labor Force (2017) (2017)

Region

Jobs (2017)

Cost of Living

GRP

Imports

Exports

1,374,182

533,092

470,851

84.8

$32.09B

$38.19B

$33.75B

Cameron County, TX

425,033

167,442

156,950

87.8

$10.51B

$13.99B

$12.77B

Hidalgo County, TX

862,748

334,234

290,278

86.4

$19.99B

$22.88B

$19.90B

Starr County, TX

64,622

25,263

19,184

80.9

$1.24B

$2.63B

$2.38B

Willacy County, TX

21,779

6,153

4,439

84.1

$359.24M

$858.81M

$382.30M

Workforce Solutions - EMSI

1,374,182

470,851

Population (2017)

Jobs (2017)

Population Population grew bygrew 68,360 over the last 5 years and projected by 68,360 overis the to grow by561,438 last yearsover andthe next 5 years. is projected to grow

Jobs by 31,980 Jobs grewgrew by 31,980 over the last 5over yearsthe andlast are 5 projected years to grow by 47,402 over the next 5 and are projected years. to grow by 47,402

by 61,438 over the next 5 years.

over the next 5 years.

Workforce Solutions - EMSI

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

25

Quality of Life

V i s i t H ar l i n g e n Te x a s . c o m

Top 3 most affordable cities in America.

Great Education HCISD earn 103 distinctions in TEA accountability ratings.

Strong Retail Sales Over $1 billion in retail sales annually.

Strategic Location

26

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Centrally located with access to I-69 E & I-2, Los Indios Free Trade Bridge & Valley International Airport.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

27

Discover your business potential in...

SAN BENITO, TEXAS Located in Deep South Texas, this region is among the fastest growing areas in the United States.

We offer:

Close Proximity to:

• Warm Climate

• Air Service

• Sound Economy

• Deepwater Ports

• Can-Do Approach

• Rail & Bus Transport

• Abundant Land & Resources

• International Crossings

• Quality Schools & Universities

• Inland Water Barge Port

• International Cold Storage Facilities

• Major Freight Companies • Major Interstate Highways

28

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OFSAN THE BENITO

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

For information: 956-361-3800 or visit cityofsanbenito.com or www.sanbenitobusiness.com

San Benito’s physical location may be its greatest asset. Strategically located at the center of Cameron County on the striking resaca waterway in Deep South Texas, the city’s future is bright indeed.

What’s in store for San Benito? Consider the region. Its geographic positioning half-way between Brownsville and Harlingen and its unique set of unfolding circumstances call for a progressive strategy in meeting its future development. San Benito is the place for a start-up or an established business to discover its full potential.

With the dynamic news of AEP Texas’ new $23 million regional service center being constructed here and the development of SpaceX at Boca Chica Beach preparing to launch rockets into space, the outlook for creation of good-paying jobs, enhanced academics, improved medical facilities, and an overall enriched quality of life will be realized in San Benito.

The formation of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, along with the consolidation of the Regional Academic Health Center, means the entire Rio Grande Valley, in fact, will be transformed into an explosive, progressive, and attractive destination for high-tech growth and development. These facilities will certainly impact this community, area officials say.

U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela said the SpaceX launch facility will greatly benefit South Texas economics, creating jobs and putting capital investment into the local economy.

Along with impacting the economy, this move will provide unique educational opportunities for students, scientists, and researchers.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the UTRGV Medical School further enhance the progressive nature of this area.

The Valley has become one of the most dynamic regions of Texas, where untapped potential meets true grit and a thirst for knowledge – a perfect setting for new, vibrant growth and development

San Benito is in the right place at the right time.

The South Texas region’s population is growing faster than that of the State of Texas, spilling out into what were previously rural communities. Within a five-mile radius of San Benito, the population is currently 55,596; within a 10mile radius, it increases to 158,424 and within 15 miles, it escalates to 414,689.

San Benito is poised for anticipated growth in commerce, tourism, and trade. The county’s population was 406,220 in 2010; it is projected that by 2020, the population numbers will increase to 539,000, by 2030 to 640,300, and by 2040 to 729,700.

San Benito is located eight miles from the (NAFTA) Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios that leads to Mexico, which provides convenient access to industrial centers.

Some 53 miles of the former U.S. Highway 77 from Raymondville to Brownsville will be converted into Interstate 69 East. Fourteen miles of U.S. Highway 281 is now Interstate 69 Central from Edinburg to Pharr. The two highways will be connected by Interstate 2 (formerly U.S. Highway 83). And, ultimately, I-69 will be a 1,600mile highway stretching from Texas to Michigan.

Officials believe importing Mexican produce for processing in the U.S. is expected to increase substantially over the next decade with the opening of a new transportation corridor between Mazatlán–DurangoMonterrey-Reynosa (Mexico).

The state comptroller’s office believes the South Texas region’s economic outlook is excellent, saying South Texas has a young and rapidly growing population ready to grasp opportunities through international trade, future businesses, and tourism.

San Benito is the place to discover your business potential.

San Benito stands to be among the leading communities to benefit from planned, progressive development. For more information, please contact City Manage Manuel De La Rosa at 956-361-3800.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

29

Take a drive through Weslaco. Roll down your windows and listen to the sound of prosperity. Feel the breeze that warms the face of a young and vibrant community. Observe the blending of a business-minded culture that embraces tradition and innovation.

These are the relevant architectual senses that draft the future of Weslaco. We are a BIG - little city with room to tactically plan for the next frontier of industry and manufacturing in the South Texas region.

30

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

31

South Texas Most Experienced Commercial Real Estate Specialists • Project Development • Commercial Property Management • Service Minded

LEASING

• Shopping Centers • Office • Medical • Industrial

SALES

Commercial • Retail Pad Sites • Land

DEVELOPMENT

• Development Services • Site Selection • Acquisition

• Construction • Leasing • Management

BROKERAGE

• Retail • Industrial • Investment

• Owner/Tenant Representation

Service Focused Not Commission Focused *Our major success in the Rio Grande Valley was facilitated by our relationship with you and your firm. Not only did we have an excellent broker/client relationship we became good friends as well. Dale, Randy and the Davis Equity Team always put their representation of us first and foremost.

No one could have been more professional.”

Chris Job, Shamrock Ventures, Houston, TX

32

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

2290 W Pike #100 Weslaco, TX 78596 602 Boerne Stage Airfield Boerne, TX 78006 info@davisequity.com Rio Grande Valley 956-969-8648 San Antonio 210-338-8000

PREMIER COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TEAM SURGES GROWTH

Leaders in their market niche, Davis Equity Realty specializes in commercial real estate development and real estate brokerage services. Dale Davis, President, says it best, “We empower businesses through our supportive involvement to multiply business locations in a reasonable manner.”

Big Box players like Walmart, Walgreens, Whataburger, and HEB turn to Davis Equity Realty, founded and owned by Dale Davis, a Weslaco native. Davis graduated from the University of Texas, and spent 17 years in the Dallas commercial real estate market. He started Davis Equity Realty in 1984 serving as the director of development for Cinemark Theaters, developing entertainment complexes throughout the USA, South America and Mexico.

Since 1997, Randy Summers, CCIM, Commercial Sales Manager, has been the local face representing Davis Equity Realty as Dale moved to the greater San Antonio area to expand the company’s interests.

Summers, a Rio Grande Valley/Weslaco native is perfect for the position precisely because he is a native. Summers has the local knowledge needed to help commercial clients and has the business expertise as well; serving fifteen years as a commercial banker.

David McDaniel is Property Manager of the Davis Company’s commercial assets. As a former American Express financial advisor and food manufacturing company business manager; McDaniel’s skills have proven beneficial to asset management in the area of investment property management.

Keith Kinsolving is purveyor of the company’s land acquisition.

The McAllen native draws upon extensive experience in home building stemming from his former tenure as president of Kinsolving Construction Company in Austin during the 1980’s.

Charlie Doege joined Davis Equity Realty’s Boerne office after being Senior Vice President with a National real estate firm. He is a Land Sales Specialist focusing on various sectors in San Antonio and the surrounding areas for development. Being a native of San Antonio and former Business Manager of a large Pharmaceutical Company, Charlie has an extensive network with the local Business Leaders and Physician community. Charlie has an MBA from St. Mary’s University, is a graduate of Harvard’s Graduate School of Business “Negotiations for Senior Executives” and San Diego’s Center for “Creative Leadership Program”.

Michael Lynch recently joined Davis Equity Boerne office after being Director of Business Development with a national real estate firm.

His focus will consist of generating new development and investor opportunities while utilizing his extensive retail industry contacts / network connections to establish new build to suit, fee & master development opportunities and the sale of surplus pad sites and land in the Davis Equity portfolio. Michael is a graduate of the Harvard Real Estate Management Program and holds the prestigious Master of Commercial Real Estate (MCR) designation.

Justin Davis has joined the Boerne office as a leasing associate and is the Development Coordinator for the San Antonio area Projects.

Justin serves our country in the Army National Guard.

“Most of the clients that come to Davis Equity Realty are looking for professional assistance with either acquiring commercial properties for their business or to lease space, according to Commercial Sales Manager,” Randy Summers. “Clients often need professional representation to negotiate the best location and best lease parameters that they can get to grow their business.”

“The factor underscores commercial real estate’s significance as a barometer for economic activity in the region,” Summers said. Job growth in particular is positive. Positive job growth means positive spending, which results in economic growth. “It’s a very significant barometer of what the economy is doing.”

Dale Davis

Randy Summers, CCIM

David McDaniel

Keith Kinsolving

Development

Sales Manager Commercial Sales/Retail

Property Management

Sales and Leasing

Charlie Doege

Michael E Lynch, MCR

Justin Davis

Land Sales Specialist

Development Partner Sales and Leasing

Development Coordinator

Photos Courtesy of Davis Equity Realty

Contact: 956-969-8648 or 800-713-7452 ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE 33 Visit: DavisEquity.com RIO GRANDE VALLEY

34

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

35

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL BAROMETER 2016-2017 TOTAL BUILDING PERMITS VALUE CITY Alamo Brownsville Donna Edinburg Harlingen Los Fresnos McAllen Mercedes Mission Palm Valley Pharr Rancho Viejo Raymondville Rio Grande City Roma San Benito San Juan South Padre Island Weslaco Totals Rio Grande Valley Partnership

36

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

RESIDENTIAL 11,547,405.00 131,848,322.00 6,327,663.00 261,356,493.00 48,025,989.30 8,732,988.98 166,453,477.00 10,282,908.00 79,195,719,08 317,237.00 67,153,087.76 10,487,705.72 645,660.00 8,700,000.00 2,672,650.00 1,947,577.00 19,313,110.00 75,174,923.85 40,627,242.64 950,810,159.33

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

COMMERCIAL 13,064,168.00 73,280,041.00 16,678,064.00 219,233,327.00 68,442,230.76 6,604,000.00 454,382,435.00 10,129,786.06 78,355,201.61 543,000.00 77,878,307.44 634,428.00 465,500.00 44,559,000.00 2,768,874.92 28,697,422.00 19,160,000.00 11,672,244.31 56,570,347.00 1,183,118,377.10

RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS VALUE CITY

2017

2016

Alamo Brownsville Donna Edinburg Harlingen Los Fresnos McAllen Mercedes Mission Palm Valley Pharr Rancho Viejo Raymondville Rio Grande City Roma San Benito San Juan South Padre Island Weslaco

Totals

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$

5,919,500.00 76,583,612.00 2,413,735.00 133,782,736.00 21,153,840.91 5,025,679.83 85,121,746.00 6,353,130.00 36,597,005.24 145,000.00 46,228,495.84 5,408,640.40 304,110.00 4,100,000.00 1,342,850.00 580,021.00 7,175,407.00 19,697,011.99 19,217,020.00

477,149,541.21

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$

5,627,905.00 55,264,710.00 3,913,928.00 127,573,757.00 26,872,148.39 3,707,309.15 81,331,731.00 3,929,778.00 42,598,713.84 172,237.00 20,924,591.92 5,079,065.32 341,550.00 4,600,000.00 12,137,703.00 1,367,556.00 12,137,703.00 55,477,911.86 21,410,222.64

473,660,618.12

COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS VALUE CITY Alamo Brownsville Donna Edinburg Harlingen Los Fresnos McAllen Mercedes Mission Palm Valley Pharr Rancho Viejo Raymondville Rio Grande City Roma San Benito San Juan South Padre Island Weslaco

Totals

2017

2016 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$

8,892,077.00 5,323,141.00 2,995,000.00 75,406,513.00 27,187,446.76 4,678,500.00 319,894,779.00 8,263,930.00 46,412,434.61 443,000.00 24,622,976.07 250,000.00 343,500.00 17,500,000.00 1,059,700.00 4,290,725.00 4,645,000.00 4,064,781.03 17,763,500.00

614,037,003.47

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

$

4,172,091.00 27,956,900.00 13,683,064.00 143,826,814.00 41,254,784.00 1,925,500.00 134,487,656.00 1,865,856.06 31,942,767.00 100,000.00 53,255,331.37 384,428.00 122,000.00 27,059,000.00 1,709,174.92 24,406,697.00 14,515,000.000 7,607,463.28 38,806,847.00 569,081,373.63

Rio Grande Valley Partnership

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

37

RIO GRANDE VALLEY WORKFLOW

STARR WILLACY 3,808

12,481

HIDALGO

9,273

1,465

5,435 1,397

43,506

57,817

203,859

CAMERON

HIGH INBOUND COMMUTERS VS HIGH OUTBOUND COMMUTERS

INFLOW / OUTFLOW

Employed and Live in Selection Area Employed in Selection Area, Live Outside Live in Selection Area, Employed Outside

Population Characteristics - Cont.

28,574

41,313 101,711

Note: Overlay arrows do not indicate directionality of worker flow between home and employment locations

Place of Work vs Place of Residence

Data Center, UTRGV

Understanding where talent in the region currently works compared to where talent lives can

HIGH INBOUND COMMUTERS VS HIGH OUTBOUND COMMUTERS help you optimize site decisions. For example, the #1 ranked ZIP for employment ranks #4 for Place of Work vs Place of Residence resident workers. The top ZIP for resident workers is 78521.

Understanding where talent in the region currently works compared to where talent lives can help you optimize site decisions. For example, the #1 ranked ZIP for employment ranks #4 for resident workers. The top ZIP for resident workers is 78521 High Inbound Commuters High Outbound Commuters

Workforce Solutions - EMSI

38

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Connecting South Texas to the World For over 65 years, VTX1 Companies beginning to an array of services and and its affiliates -- Valley Telephone advancement opportunities for South Cooperative, Inc., VTX Communications, Texas communities.”

LLC, and VTX Telecom, LLC -- have provided High speed internet access in new advanced telecommunication services to rural communities will spark endless rural communities in South Texas. VTX development opportunities in the areas of education, health Communications and commerce.

VTX Telecom were High speed internet, business and established to reach phone solutions, integrated Education and health new communities IT solutions, and state-of- institutions across the Rio Grande Valley are and diversify their original product line, the-art security monitoring already connected to telephone service, to & surveillance services are the VTX1 Fiber Optic including other lines of business available in South Texas Network such as wireless using fiber optic broadband The University of Texas Rio Grande internet and data access -- the industry’s most Valley (Brownsville transport. reliable technology “We continue and Edinburg), South to expand our Texas College, Texas capabilities as a high speed internet State Technical College and the University provider,” said VTX1 Companies CEO of Texas Health Science Center.

Dave Osborn. “Therefore, our business Our fiber optic capabilities have partners in Mexico and across the nation provided an opportunity to add high will greatly benefit from this project. quality video production to our list of Higher bandwidth speeds are only the offerings that are marketed commercially

through syndicators. We offer 30-60 minute videos that focus on a topic or location and are of general interest in nature. They’ve been very popular with a strong market value, and we syndicate them to other networks and stations throughout the country.

We’ve also added security monitoring and surveillance systems to our service offerings that provide high-definition video surveillance and real-time monitoring for peace of mind.

Corporate headquarters are located in Raymondville and business offices are located in Falfurrias, George West, Jourdanton and Dilley. Installation, repair and dispatch services are located in Lasara and Wireless Network Operations are based in McAllen.

High-speed internet access within VTX1 communities is available through fiber optic or wireless connection. Interested customers may call 1-800-446-2031 or visit www.vtx1.net to learn more.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

39

R I O G RANDE VALLE Y G ROSS SA LES - 2 01 4-2 01 6

RIO GRANDE VALLEY YEAR

GROSS SALES

2014 2015 2016

31,852 32,918 32,809

26,557,845,207 26,254,445,709 26,141,690,548

CAMERON COUNTY

CAMERON COUNTY GROSS Cameron County Gross Sales SALES

YEAR

QUARTER

GROSS SALES

OUTLETS

2014 2014 2014 2014

1 2 3 4

7,437 7,562 7,636 10,699

8,000,000,000

2015 2015 2015 2015

1 2 3 4

7,747 7,784 7,800 11,085

7,000,000,000

2016 2016 2016 2016

1 2 3 4

1,661,583,349 1,721,340,444 1,774,918,696 2,543,562,775 7,701,405,264 1,692,615,313 1,736,800,604 1,756,940,513 2,360,860,027 7,547,216,457 1,731,032,052 1,737,447,357 1,876,686,997 2,298,782,202 7,643,948,608

7,799 7,898 7,961 10,946

DOLLARS

7,500,000,000

6,500,000,000

6,000,000,000

5,500,000,000 Gross Sales

2014

2015

2016

7,701,405,264

7,547,216,457

7,643,948,608

HIDALGO COUNTY GROSS Hidalgo County Gross Sales SALES 19,500,000,000 17,500,000,000 15,500,000,000

DOLLARS

OUTLETS

13,500,000,000 11,500,000,000

HIDALGO COUNTY YEAR

QUARTER

2014 2014 2014 2014

1 2 3 4

2015 2015 2015 2015

1 2 3 4

2016 2016 2016 2016

1 2 3 4

9,500,000,000 7,500,000,000 5,500,000,000 Gross Sales

2014

2015

2016

18,029,123,103

17,844,634,264

17,725,376,963

Data Center, UTRGV

40

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

GROSS SALES

3,967,630,613 4,149,776,707 3,932,307,654 5,979,408,129 18,029,123,103 3,961,977,125 4,028,934,330 3,969,683,713 5,884,039,096 17,844,634,264 4,018,037,140 4,031,843,984 4,000,611,876 5,674,883,963 17,725,376,963

OUTLETS

13,325 13,499 13,694 19,663 13,903 14,136 14,297 20,289 14,310 14,553 14,653 20,343

RIO GRANDE VALLEY SALES AND USE TAX RATES

Bayview Brownsville Combes Harlingen La Feria Laguna Vista Los Fresnos Los Indios Palm Valley Port Isabel Primera Rancho Viejo Rio Hondo San Benito Santa Rosa

0.0725 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0775 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0725 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825

South Padre Island Alamo Alton Donna Edcouch Edinburg Elsa Granjeno Hidalgo La Joya La Villa McAllen Mercedes Mission Palmhurst

STARR COUNTY QUARTER

GROSS SALES

2014 2014 2014 2014

1 2 3 4

2015 2015 2015 2015

1 2 3 4

141,759,061 160,219,245 148,834,740 194,678,749 645,491,795 144,988,383 155,723,907 145,623,425 241,562,354 687,898,069 143,966,015 147,788,114 140,612,865 182,435,589 614,802,583

2016 2016 2016 2016

1 2 3 4

861 905 882 1,163

700,000,000

860 899 910 1,209

620,000,000

680,000,000 660,000,000 640,000,000

901 932 940 1,166

2014 2014 2014 2014

1 2 3 4

2015 2015 2015 2015

1 2 3 4

2016 2016 2016 2016

1 2 3 4

GROSS SALES

37,930,238 40,848,112 52,572,353 50,474,342 181,825,045 40,603,190 41,293,898 43,981,640 48,818,191 174,696,919 39,526,389 35,331,662 40,129,347 42,574,996 157,562,394

580,000,000

540,000,000 520,000,000 500,000,000 Gross Sales

2014

2015

2016

645,491,795

687,898,069

614,802,583

WILLACY COUNTY GROSS Willacy County Gross Sales SALES

OUTLETS

190,000,000

247 257 255 327

180,000,000 170,000,000 160,000,000

262 266 262 335 257 254 268 354

DOLLARS

QUARTER

600,000,000

560,000,000

WILLACY COUNTY YEAR

0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0775 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0725 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825

Palmview Penitas Pharr Progreso Progreso Lakes San Juan Sullivan City Weslaco Escobares La Grulla Rio Grande City Roma Lyford Raymondville

STARR COUNTY GROSS Starr County Gross Sales SALES

OUTLETS

DOLLARS

YEAR

0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0725 0.0825 0.0825 0.0725 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825 0.0825

150,000,000 140,000,000 130,000,000 120,000,000 110,000,000 100,000,000 Gross Sales

2014

2015

2016

181,825,045

174,696,919

157,562,394

Data Center, UTRGV

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

41

Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Texas 42

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

43

CITY RETAIL TRADE 2014 - 2016 McALLEN

EDINBURG

YEAR

RETAIL SALES

HISTORICAL

YEAR

RETAIL SALES

HISTORICAL

2014 2015 2016

$3,630,583,698 $3,396,135,894 $3,202,372,349

$3.63 $3.40 $3.20

2014 2015 2016

$1,088,046,068 $1,029,185,658 $1,023,085,604

$1.09 $1.03 $1.02

MISSION YEAR

PHARR

RETAIL SALES

2014 2015 2016

$870,667,304 $786,964,018 $729,623,083

HISTORICAL

YEAR

RETAIL SALES

$0.87 $0.79 $0.73

2014 2015 2016

$1,035,212,084 $1,194,221,418 $1,180,227,376

WESLACO RETAIL SALES

HISTORICAL

2014 2015 2016

$1,004,050,147 $927,094,788 $969,749,880

$1.00 $0.93 $0.97

YEAR 2014 2015 2016

HARLINGEN

RETAIL SALES

HISTORICAL

$394,241,848 $363,829,050 $315,406,671

$0.39 $0.36 $0.32

BROWNSVILLE

RETAIL SALES

2014 2015 2016

$1.04 $1.19 $1.18

MERCEDES

YEAR

YEAR

HISTORICAL

$1,214,431,529 $1,247,902,102 $1,243,107,280

HISTORICAL

YEAR

RETAIL SALES

HISTORICAL

$1.21 $1.25 $1.24

2014 2015 2016

$2,231,058,899 $2,208,606,866 $2,197,651,445

$2.23 $2.21 $2.20

HistoricalSALES Retail SalesCOMPARISON HISTORICAL RETAIL $4,000,000,000 $3,500,000,000 $3,000,000,000 $2,500,000,000 $2,000,000,000 $1,500,000,000 $1,000,000,000 $500,000,000

$0 2010 McAllen

2011 Edinburg

Data Center, UTRGV

44

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Mission

2012 Pharr

2013 Weslaco

2014 Mercedes

2015 Harlingen

2016 Brownsville

R I OGRANDE GR A N D E VALLEY VA L L E Y G RO S S SA L E S - 2014 2 0 1 4 -2 016 RIO GROSS SALES - 2016 INCOME

EMPLOYMENT

56% White Collar

$36,291

$15,474

Median Household Income

$33 ,316

Per Capita Income

23%

Median Net Worth

Blue Collar

20%

KEY FACTS

Services

1 ,392,991

29.9

Population

8.4%

Median Age

3.5

$36 ,291

Average Household Size

Median Household Income

Unemployment Rate

EDUCATION

37% No High School Diploma

24%

22%

17%

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelor's/Grad/Prof Degree

ANNUAL LIFESTYLE SPENDING

ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD SPENDING

$1,505

$1 18

$2, 334

$1,29 4

$34

$54

Apparel & Services

Computers & Hardware

Eating Out

Travel

Theatre/Operas/ Concerts

Movies/Museums/ Parks

$3,583

$3,793

Groceries

Health Care

$32

$3

Sports Events

Online Games

Data: This Center, UTRGV Source infogr aphic contains data provide d by Esri, Esri and Bureau of Labor Statistics. The vintage of the data is 2016 , 2017.

47

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

45

BUSINESSSUMMARY SUMMARY -- RIO RIO GRANDE 2018 BUSINESS GRANDEVALLEY VALLEY 2018

DATA FOR ININ AREA DATA FORALL ALLBUSINESS BUSINESS AREA TOTAL 29,506 TOTALBUSINESSES: BUSINESSES: 29,506

370,277 TOTAL TOTALEMPLOYEES: EMPLOYEES: 370,277 1,392,991 TOTAL POPULATION: TOTALRESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL POPULATION: 1,392,991 27 27

EMPLOYEE/RESIDENTIAL POPULATION RATIO:

EMPLOYEE/RESIDENTIAL POPULATION RATIO: (PER 100 RESIDENTS) (PER 100 RESIDENTS)

BUSINESS

BUSINESS TYPE AGRICULTURE & MINING

NUMBER

PERCENT

EMPLOYEES NUMBER

PERCENT

368

1.2%

3,672

1.0%

CONSTRUCTION

1,187

4.0%

10,290

2.8%

MANUFACTURING

640

2.2%

18,304

4.9%

TRANSPORTATION

1,156

3.9%

14,549

3.9%

COMMUNICATION

466

1.6%

3,678

1.0%

84

0.3%

1,503

0.4%

1,455

4.9%

14,361

3.9%

UTILITY WHOLESALE TRADE

BUSINESS

RETAIL TRADE

EMPLOYEES

7,565

25.6%

98,636

26.6%

HOME IMPROVEMENT

328

1.1%

4,153

1.1%

GENERAL MERCHANDISE STORES

439

1.5%

16,704

4.5%

1,085

3.7%

14,226

3.8%

537

3.9%

10,383

2.8%

APPAREL & ACCESSORY STORES

537

1.8%

4,805

1.3%

FURNITURE & HOME FURNISHINGS

323

1.1%

3,134

0.8%

EATING & DRINKING PLACES

2,130

7.2%

33,800

9.1%

MISCELLANEOUS RETAIL

1,565

5.3%

11,431

3.1%

FOOD STORES AUTO DEALERS, GAS STATIONS, AUTO AFTERMARKET

Source: Copyright 2017 Infogroup, Inc. All rights reserved. Esri Total Residential Population Forecast for 2017.

Data Center, UTRGV

54 46

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

BUSINESSSUMMARY SUMMARY -- RIO RIO GRANDE 2018 BUSINESS GRANDEVALLEY VALLEY 2018 BUSINESS 11,641 39.5%

SERVICES

EMPLOYEES 162,784 44.0%

HOTELS & LODGING

365

1.2%

4,299

1.2%

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

932

3.2%

3,583

1.0%

MOTION PICTURES & AMUSEMENTS

726

2.5%

5,611

1.5%

HEALTH SERVICES

2,215

7.5%

42,395

11.4%

LEGAL SERVICES

585

2.0%

2,851

0.8%

EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS & LIBRARIES

1,039

3.5%

60,730

16.4%

OTHER SERVICES

5,779

19.6%

43,315

11.7%

GOVERNMENT

1,241

4.2%

24,201

6.5%

UNCLASSIFIED ESTABLISHMENTS

782

2.7%

704

0.2%

TOTALS

29,506 100.0% 370,277 100.0%

Data Center, UTRGV

CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE RGV 2014-2016 Year

Area

Labor Force

Employment

Unemployment

Unemployment Rate

2016 2015 2014

United States United States United States

159,187,000 157,130,000 155,922,000

151,436,000 148,834,000 146,305,000

7,751,000 8,296,000 9,617,000

4.9 5.3 6.2

2016 2015 2014

Texas Texas Texas

13,284,623 13,044,089 13,004,345

12,671,801 12,463,031 12,340,567

612,822 581,058 663,778

4.6 4.5 5.1

2016 2015 2014

Cameron County Cameron County Cameron County

166,061 162,570 166,112

154,098 150,993 152,270

11,963 11,577 13,842

7.2 7.1 8.3

2016 2015 2014

Hidalgo County Hidalgo County Hidalgo County

335,276 329,852 331,530

308,973 303,710 302,473

26,303 26,142 29,057

7.8 7.9 8.8

2016 2015 2014

Starr County Starr County Starr County

26,266 25,799 25,957

22,687 22,322 22,415

3,579 3,477 3,542

13.6 13.5 13.6

2016 2015 2014

Willacy County Willacy County Willacy County

6,500 6,726 7,160

5,695 5,849 6,273

805 877 887

12.4 13.0 12.4

Source: Texas Workforce Commission, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2014-2016.

Data Center, UTRGV

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

55 47

When You Need Emergency Care in the RGV …

6 ERs to Better Serve You 8

900 E. Expressway 83, Mission, TX 78572 Phone: 956-271-1200 • sthsermission.com

SOON TO BE

Here’s How

South Texas Health System Has You Covered

• Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

• Staffed and equipped with the same medical personnel and diagnostic technology available in South Texas Health System’s hospital-based emergency rooms.

330 W. Expressway 83, Weslaco, TX 78596 Phone: 956-975-2300 • sthserweslaco.com

COMING SOON

• Direct admission to an STHS hospital if needed.

Outpatient diagnostic and laboratory services available at Mission and Weslaco with discounts for cash payment, including: • Imaging services, such as - Digital X-ray* - Computed Tomography (CT) scanning* - Ultrasound and Vascular

• Digital mammography • Laboratory tests • Same-day and walk-in appointments available

3505 N. Interstate 69C, Edinburg, TX 78541 sthseredinburg.com

For more information, visit southtexashealthsystem.com/RGV

48

Get social with us ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

* Insurance requiring authorization may result in wait time for approval prior to completing the scan.

Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of South Texas Health System.

The hospitals shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimination notice, visit our website. 172632

4702 S. McColl, Edinburg, TX 78539 sthsermccoll.com

South Texas Health System (STHS) is a regional multi-hospital system that has earned a reputation for excellence in providing quality healthcare to residents of the Rio Grande Valley. STHS offers a comprehensive array of medical services, including cardiovascular, maternity and women’s health, emergency and surgical care, along with specialty programs in chest pain, pediatrics, diabetes, wound care, bariatric surgery, orthopedics, neurosurgery, rehabilitation and behavioral health services.

Here for You South Texas Health System has compiled a distinguished list of firsts: • First to offer private behavioral health inpatient treatment in the Rio Grande Valley • First neonatal surgery center in the Valley • First designated Level III Trauma Center in Hidalgo County • First freestanding hospital for children in the Rio Grande Valley • First hospital in Texas to do robotic total knee replacements Air ambulance services are stationed at McAllen Medical Center.

Air Evac Life Team is the largest independently owned air medical provider in the United States. McAllen Medical Center, McAllen Heart Hospital, Edinburg Regional Medical Center and Edinburg Children’s Hospital are equipped with helipads.

National Recognition South Texas Health System is getting noticed at a national level.

Healthgrades, a U.S. company that evaluates healthcare quality, has named McAllen Heart Hospital as one of

• America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery • America’s 100 Best in Coronary Intervention • America’s 100 Best in Overall Cardiac Care Only 19 hospitals in the nation received all three awards. McAllen Heart Hospital is the only hospital in the Valley to be recognized among Healthgrades America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Services in 2017. (The Valley includes hospitals in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr, and Willacy counties.)

Healthgrades also recognized Edinburg Regional Medical Center and McAllen Medical Center with 5 star clinical achievements for women’s health in vaginal delivery, C-section delivery, and gynecologic procedures.

DISCLAIMER: Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of South Texas Health System. The system shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. For language assistance, disability accommodations and the non-discrimination notice, visit our website.

Multiple ERs To Serve the RGV When it comes to emergency care, South Texas Health System has the RGV covered with six locations, including two satellite Emergency Departments in Weslaco and Mission.

STHS ER at Weslaco and STHS ER at Mission are open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, unlike most urgent care centers and clinics that are open just eight to 16 hours per day. STHS satellite emergency departments are staffed with the same medical personnel and equipped with the same diagnostic technology available in South Texas Health System’s larger facility emergency rooms.

Emergency medical conditions include heart attacks, strokes, respiratory distress, head injuries, abdominal pain and orthopedic injuries, which are beyond the scope of treatment for most urgent care centers or night clinics. Treatment services for emergency medical conditions include, but are not limited to:

• • • •

Chest pain Broken bones Minor lacerations Flu and other ailments

In addition, the facilities offer a comprehensive range of outpatient diagnostic and laboratory services available. Outpatient services include digital x-rays, computer tomography scanning, and bone density, digital mammography and laboratory tests.

Diagnostic, imaging and lab appointments are available on a same-day, walk-in basis, so test results are provided more quickly. Discounted rates are available for cash payments.

Two new satellite locations will be opening soon in Edinburg and McColl, bringing South Texas Health System’s emergency care locations to eight.

Visit South Texas Health System In addition to healthcare services, South Texas Health System also provides community outreach programs.

Call our South Texas Health System Reserve and Learn Center at 800-879-1033 for information on our health and wellness programs for individuals of all ages.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE Learn more about South Texas Health System 49 at RIO GRANDE VALLEY southtexashealthsystem.com.

50

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

51

52

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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53

FOREIGN TRADE ZONES Border Crossing FTZ No. 12 McAllen Grantee: McAllen Economic Development Corp.

6401 S. 33rd St. McAllen, TX 78503 Joyce Dean (956) 682-4306 Fax (956) 682-9111 www.mcallenftz.org

Hidalgo/Pharr

FTZ No. 62 Brownsville Grantee: Brownsville Navigation District 1000 Foust Road Brownsville, TX 78521 Tony Rodriguez (956) 831-4592 Fax (956) 831-5353

Brownsville/ Los Indios

FTZ No. 95 Starr County Grantee: Starr County Industrial Foundation P.O. Box 502 Rio Grande City, TX 78582 Nilda Elizondo (956) 487-2709 Fax (956) 716-8560

Rio Grande City

FTZ No. 156 Weslaco Grantee: City of Weslaco 255 S. Kansas Ave. Weslaco, TX 78596 Mardoqueo Hinojosa (956) 968-3181 Fax (956) 968-6672 mhinojosa@weslacotx.gov

Progreso

Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S Foreign-Trade Zones, 2017.

54

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

RGV PORT LEVEL ACTIVITY 2014 - 2016 IMPORTS Port-level Imports Country: World Total

Measures: Total Exports Value ($US)

Port

Total All Commodities 2014

Brownsville, TX (Port) Edinburg Airport, TX (Port) Hildago, TX (Port) Progreso, TX (Port) Rio Grande City, TX (Port) Roma, TX (Port) Valley International Airport, Harlingen, TX (Port)

2015

2016

7,526,514,457

7,133,097,534

19,185,725,778

19,284,829,904

20,250,998,794

222,137,550

124,444,655

149,560,130

226,396,509

210,620,984

243,017,216

3,794,710

5,147,980

5,029,360

67,519

276,877

545,857

8,117,392,268 641,518

EXPORTS Port-level Exports Country: World Total

Measures: Total Exports Value ($US)

Port

Total All Commodities 2014

2015

2016

10,045,410,384

8,747,589,450

8,735,545,090

154,051

4,347

9,146

11,397,683,965

10,785,277,713

10,377,722,495

177,250,929

106,719,440

187,989,582

Rio Grande City, TX (Port)

47,549,697

50,857,796

58,686,519

Roma, TX (Port)

70,005,113

54,410,719

43,101,063

Valley International Airport, Harlingen, TX (Port)

10,010,105

13,976,669

23,296,277

Brownsville, TX (Port) Edinburg Airport, TX (Port) Hildago, TX (Port) Progreso, TX (Port)

Data Center, UTRGV

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

55

Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates

Gateway International Bridge

Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios

3310 S. Expressway 77 Brownsville, Texas 78521 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Seven Days a Week (Commerical, Auto, Pedestrian)

510 East 14th Street Brownsville, Texas 78520 Open 24 Hours Seven Days a Week (Auto, Pedestrian, Bus)

100 Los Indios Boulevard Los Indios, Texas 78567 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Seven Days a Week (Commerical, Auto, Pedestrian)

The Veterans International Bridge is the newest of the bridges in the Brownsville/Matamoros area and directly connects to the I-69E/US 77/US 83 freeway. In Matamoros, it connects to Fed. 101/Fed. 2. This allows vehicular and commercial commuters easy access to public amenities on both sides of the border.

Genially known as “El Punte Nuevo” The New Bridge, the Gateway International Bridge is located in the Downtown Brownsville area and is favored by over 2 million pedestirans each year. Because of its strategic location, it is a direct link to the Downtown shopping district, public transportation stations, and UTRGV.

The Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios is located approximately 15 minutes south of the Harlingen/ San Benito area. Its direct connection to FM 509 allows a quick/non-stop route to US 77/US 83. It is home to one of 14 USDA plant-inspection stations in the U.S. (1 of 2 in Texas) and also easily accommodates overweight/oversized cargo.

Toll Rates Auto/Pickup ..............$3.50

2 Axle Truck .............$9.50

Motorcycle ...............$3.50

3 Axle Truck ...........$13.50

Extra Axle (Auto) .....$3.00

4 Axle Truck ...........$15.75

Bicycle......................$1.00

5 Axle Truck ...........$20.50

Bus/Rec. Vehicle ....$10.00

6 Axle Truck ...........$23.50

Pedestrian ................$1.00

Extra Axle (Truck)....$3.50

56

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

The Most Efficient Ports of Entry along the Texas/Mexico Border Our Mission...

at the Cameron County Bridge System is to serve as the most convenient and safe crossing points for all citizens and tourists of both the U.S. and Mexico, as well as to facilitate the crossing of all freight and import-export trade in a timely and efficient manner. The bridges’ strategic locations and connecting infrastructure serve domestic and transnational importers and exporters through both intracoastal and deep water seaports, road, air, rail networks, crossing commercial trucks, passenger-operated vehicles, and pedestrians daily.

Upcoming Developments: • Expansion of Veterans International Bridge passenger (non-commercial) vehicle primary and secondary inspection station.

• New cold storage inspection facility at the Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios • On-line payments for AVI (Automated Vehicle Identification) account holders • Extended on-site AVI payment hours (6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.)

County Judge Eddie Trevino and County Commissioners Sofia C. Benavides (Pct. 1) Alex Dominguez (Pct. 2) David A. Garza (Pct. 3) Gus Ruiz (Pct. 4) aspire to maintain the bridges’ status--as three of the leading traffic and trade crossings in North America-by offering a safe and rapid crossing experience.

Bridge Locations Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates Located on I69-E 6.9 miles to the Deep Water Seaport (Brownsville - 17 min.)

26.9 miles to the Intracoastal Waterway (Harlingen - 30 min.)

4.9 miles to SPI International Airport (Brownsville - 12 min.)

27.9 miles to the Valley International Airport (Harlingen - 33 min.)

Gateway International Bridge Located 4 minutes from I69-E 7 miles to the Deep Water Seaport (Brownsville - 17 min.)

27 miles to the Intracoastal Waterway (Harlingen - 35 min.)

5 miles to SPI International Airport (Brownsville - 16 min.)

28 miles to the Valley International Airport (Harlingen - 37 min.)

Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios Located 12 minutes from I69-E 22 miles to the Deep Water Seaport (Brownsville - 37 min.)

15 miles to the Intracoastal Waterway (Harlingen - 20 min.)

30 miles to SPI International Airport (Brownsville - 40 min.)

14 miles to the Valley International Airport (Harlingen - 20 min.)

“We would like to thank our crossing public for making the Cameron County International Bridge System your crossing choice.”

Josué Garcia, Jr. Bridge Director

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

57

RGV BRIDGE CROSSINGS CAMERON COUNTY Transport Type

2017

2016

% Change

Autos / Other

3,015,214

3,081,282

2%

Pedestrians

1,962,397

2,064,034

5%

6,856

6,080

-13%

209,562

218,799

4%

5,194,029

5,370,195

3%

Bus Trucks

Totals

HIDALGO COUNTY Transport Type

2017

2016

% Change

Autos / Other

5,375,546

5,136,089

-5%

Pedestrians

2,290,133

2,267,614

-1%

Bus

26,830

24,659

-9%

Trucks

536,774

583,341

8%

8,229,283

8,011,703

-3%

Totals

STARR COUNTY Transport Type

2017

2016

% Change

Autos / Other

611,508

622,030

2%

Pedestrians

168,162

133,540

-26%

-

-

-

4,536

3,971

-14%

784,206

759,541

-3%

Bus Trucks

Totals Rio Grande Valley Partnership

58

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

AIRPORT TRAFFIC 2015 - 2017 2015

2017

2016

ARRIVALS

DEPARTURES

ARRIVALS

DEPARTURES

ARRIVALS

DEPARTURES

McAllen

400,059

387,908

365,928

348,139

347,152

340,219

Harlingen

266,668

259,459

269,038

262,012

277,862

274,363

Brownsville

109,012

118,147

108,735

106,731

112,061

102,449

McALLEN 410000

2015

400000

2015

390000 380000 2016

370000 360000 350000

2016

2017

2017

340000

2017

330000

2016

320000

2015

310000 1

2

DEPARTURES (PASSENGERS)

ARRIVALS (PASSENGERS)

HARLINGEN 280000

2017 2017

275000 2016

270000

2015

265000

2016 2015

260000

2017 2016

255000

2015

250000 1

2

ARRIVALS (PASSENGERS)

DEPARTURES (PASSENGERS)

BROWNSVILLE 120000 115000

2015 2017 2016

110000

2015 2016

105000

2017

100000

2017

95000

2016 2015

90000 1

ARRIVALS (PASSENGERS)

2

DEPARTURES (PASSENGERS)

Rio Grande Valley Partnership

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

59

THE VALLEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PREMIER AIRPORT

Austin Daily Non-Stop Houston Daily Non-Stops 60

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Minneapolis Non-Stop flythevalley.com

(Bush & Hobby)

(Seasonal)

The Future Of Business & Aviation In South Texas.

Harlingen Aerotropolis has 480 acres of landed zoned into several districts.

The districts are intended to be compatible with one another and the airport.

Valley International Airport of Harlingen is strategically located in the crossroads of the Rio Grande Valley and: • Easy access to the Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios (15 miles) • NAFTA Cargo Hub for the Rio Grande Valley • 4 Miles to US express way 77/83 (I-69) • Your choice of two on-site FBOs’ with fueling, aircraft rentals, avionics and maintenance capabilities • Serviced by Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines • Air Cargo Airlines: DHL and FedEx • U.S. Customs facility on airport property

For Aerotropolis Information, Contact José Mulet:(956) 430-8605 Email: jose@flythevalley.com

Available On-Airport Distribution Warehouse At Valley International Airport, Harlingen Texas

• Loading docks with levelers on the land side • At grade extra-wide dock doors on airside • Clearspan construction with ESFR • Large truck court and trailer parking • Direct airside access • “Inside the fence” AOA security • Located on the Texas/Mexico Border at in Harlingen Texas

For More Information Contact:

José Mulet Director of Marketing & Air Service Develpment Valley International Airport (956) 430-8605 jose@flythevalley.com

• Free Trade Bridge with the border’s fastest crossing times SNAPSHOT •ECONOMIC Minutes from ReynosaOF&THE Matamoros

RIO GRANDE VALLEY Industrial Parks

61

GENERAL AND SPECIALITY HOSPITALS 2017 ADDRESS

CITY

Solara Hospital Harlingen, Brownsville Campus

333 Lorenaly Dr.

Brownsville Cameron

41

South Texas Rehabilitation Hospital

425 E. Alton Gloor Blvd.

Brownsville Cameron

40

Valley Baptist Medical Center - 1040 W. Jefferson St. Brownsville Valley Regional Medical Center 100A E. Alton Gloor Blvd.

Brownsville Cameron

243

Brownsville Cameron

214

Brownsville Regional Medical Center

1501 Burnett Rd.

Brownsville Cameron

188

Harlingen Medical Center

5501 S. Expressway 77

Harlingen

Cameron

Solara Hospital Harlingen

508 Victoria Ln.

Harlingen

Cameron

112 41

Valley Baptist Medical Center

2101 Pease St.

Harlingen

Cameron

586

Behavioral Medicine at Renaissance

5510 Raphael Dr.

Edinburg

Hidalgo

87

Cornerstone Regional Hospital 2302 Cornerstone Blvd.

Doctors Hospital 5501 S. McColl at Renaissance

Edinburg

Hidalgo

14

Edinburg

Hidalgo

235

Edinburg Regional Medical Center Rehab Center At Renaissance

1102 W. Trenton Rd.

Edinburg

Hidalgo

235

5403 Doctors Dr.

Edinburg

Hidalgo

46

2102 W. Trenton Rd.

Edinburg

Hidalgo

134

5502 S. McColl

Edinburg

Hidalgo

151

McAllen Heart Hospital McAllen Medical Center Rio Grande Regional Hospital

1900 S. D Street 301 W. Expressway 83 101 E. Ridge Rd.

McAllen

Hidalgo

60

McAllen McAllen

Hidalgo Hidalgo

441 320

Solara Hospital McAllen Mission Regional Medical Center

301 W. Expressway 83 8th Floor McAllen

Hidalgo

53

900 S. Bryan Rd.

Mission

Hidalgo

297

Knapp Medical Center

1401 E. Eighth Street

Weslaco

Hidalgo

227

906 S. James Street

Weslaco

Hidalgo

32

South Texas Behavioral Health Center Womens Hospital at Renaissance

Weslaco Regional Rehabilitation Hospital Starr County Memorial Hospital

COUNTY

TOTAL BEDS

NAME

128 N. FM Road 3167 PO Box 78 Rio Grande Starr City

48

TOTAL NUMBER 3,845 OF BEDS Data Center, UTRGV

62

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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EDUCATIONAL PIPELINE EDUCATIONAL In 2016, there were 15,800 Graduates in fourPIPELINE (4) Texas Counties. This pipeline has In 2016,by there werethe 15,800 Graduates in four (4) Texas Counties. This pipeline grown 6% over last five (5) years. has grown by 6% over the last five (5) years.

SCHOOL SCHOOL

TOTAL TOTALGRADUATES GRADUATES (2016) (2016)

South Texas College.........................................................................................

5819 South Texas College....................................................................5,819 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley......................................................

5665 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley..........................5,665 Texas Southmost College.....................................................................................

577 Texas Southmost College.............................................................577 Brightwood College-McAllen..............................................................................

380 Brightwood College - McAllen...................................................380 Southern Careers Institute - Harlingen.............................................................

347 Southen Careers Institute - Harlingen.....................................347 South Texas Vocational Technical InstituteInstitute - McAllen....................................

344 South Texas Vocational Technical - McAllen........ 344 Southern Careers Institute - Pharr.....................................................................

342 Southern Careers Institute - Pharr........................................... 342 Southern Careers Institute - Brownsville...........................................................

318 Southern Careers Institute - Brownsville.................................318 RGV Careers............................................................................................................

315 RGV Careers..................................................................................... 315 South Texas Vocational Technical InstituteInstitute - Weslaco....................................

265 South Texas Vocational Technical - Weslaco........ 265 Valley Grande Institute.......................................................................................

204 Valley Grande Institute................................................................204 Emsi Q4 2017 Data Set www.economicmodeling.com

62

TOTAL GRADUATES................................................. 14,576

Data Center, UTRGV

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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63

PHARR-SAN JUAN-ALAMO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

At PSJA ISD all Students can: • Earn College Credit • Graduate Bilingual & Biliterate • Be Part of Athletic Excellence & Renowned Fine Arts Programs Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District has rapidly become a state and national leader in creating more academic opportunities for all students. As a tricity public school district offering a pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum, PSJA caters to a 32,000 student body and is focused on graduating all PSJA ISD has been a model for dropout prevention students College Ready, College Connected and College strategies and working to connect all students to College.

Complete.

With a High School Completion Rate of almost 97 percent, PSJA ISD is leading the region, state and nation in the percent of students graduating from High School.

PSJA also has a very successful Early College program, with approximately 3,500 High School students enrolled in College courses every semester through dual and concurrent enrollment programs.

Some of PSJA’s most successful programs such as the Dual Language Program, Early College Initiative and Dropout Recovery Program have been highlighted for effectively closing the gap to post-secondary education.

At PSJA ISD all students can: Earn College Credit, Graduate Bilingual and Biliterate, Be Part of Athletic Excellence and Renowned Fine Arts Programs.

64 Start RIO College GRANDE VALLEYNow! Complete Early! Go Far! ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

FIRST IN THE NATION S

temming from the high-demand of nurses in the area and across the nation, the PSJA Nursing Career Pathway Program was launched in 2015 thanks to a partnership with PSJA ISD, South Texas College (STC) and Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance (DHR). After seeking approval from the State Board of Nursing, the partnership dared to take on what no other educational institutions had done before, create a unique pilot program set out to allow a cohort of students to be the first to complete their Associate Degree in Nursing while in high school.

curriculum of the dual enrollment program.

After two years of hard work and rigorous exams, eight PSJA ISD seniors graduated from South Texas College on May 12, 2017 with their ADN’s one-week before their high school graduation. Several took their State Boards this summer and are now Registered Nurses. The others will take their exams the next few months.

“I remember having study groups in the library and one summer coming together to support each other,” said Marez. “As we grew together in this program we became a family, I found the support and love I needed in them.”

Due to their tremendous accomplishment, the students have received high praise from their teachers, family and have been honored by STC and DHR during separate special Pinning Ceremonies. Despite the attention their feat has garnered, the students humbly admit that the journey was far from easy and took a lot of personal sacrifices, courage and strength to succeed.

For Alexia Marez, a PSJA Memorial Early College High School nursing graduate, her desire to succeed in the program was fueled by the need to inspire her three younger sisters, whom she helped care for, in the past two years. Dealing with personal struggles at home resulted in her stepping up as a parent for her siblings while working toward her high school diploma and juggling the rigorous

“Having to be a parent for my siblings inspired me to do better and succeed,” shared the 17-year-old. “I wanted to show them that if I could do it, they could do it also.”

Feeling down at times and on the verge of giving up, she recalled relying on her classmates and teachers who helped lift up her spirits and remind her of her goal.

While Marez feels saddened at the thought of the group going separate ways to pursue their Bachelor’s Degrees, the young graduate said she plans to attend Texas A&M University College Station and major in Biomedical Science.

The other seven seniors are: Luis Silos from PSJA North Early College HS who will attend University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV); Liesel Aranda from PSJA Southwest Early College HS who will attend Our Lady of the Lake University; and six seniors from PSJA Memorial Early College HS who include Itati Perez who will attend the University of Texas at Arlington; Iris Garcia, attending the University of Texas at Austin; Guadalupe Mendoza, Abigail Villarreal and Guadalupe Salinas attending UTRGV.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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66

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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68

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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VO CATIONAL AND T ECH N ICA L SCH O O LS SCHOOL NAME

ADDRESS

PHONE

Allied Skills Training Center

2045 Les Mauldin, Suite B, Brownsville, TX 78521

(956) 548-2100

Brightwood College

1500 South Jackson Road, McAllen, TX 78503

(956) 630-1499

Brightwood College

1900 North Expressway, Brownsville, TX 78521

(956) 547-8200

Brownsville Dental Assistant School

1205 East Alton Gloor Boulevard, Brownsville, TX 78526

(512) 259-2100

Cameron County Education Initiative, Inc.

3140 E. Ruben Torres Boulevard, Brownsville, TX 78526

(956) 641-4800

Careers Unlimited, LLC

806 West Expressway 83, Suite C, Mission, TX 78572

(956) 215-1293

Claudy Vocational Institute, Inc.

1805 E. Ruben Torres Blvd, Suite B-28, Brownsville, TX 78526

(956) 550-1177

College of Health Care Professions, The

1917 Nolana Avenue, Suite 100, McAllen, TX 78504

(713) 425-3125

DATS/Rio Grande Valley

1214 Dixieland Road, Suite 4, Harlingen, TX 78552

(956) 428-5322

General Educational Services of Texas, LLC

1400 Palm Boulevard, Suite 9, Brownsville, TX 78520

(956) 541-7363

Health Sciences Institute at Renaissance (HSIR)

5501 S. McColl Street, Edinburg, TX 78539

(956) 362-4032

International Culinary Institute Sugar LLC

800 West Sam Houston Boulevard, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 787-1221

Inter-Tech Technical School

1521 Galveston Avenue, McAllen, TX 78577

(956) 225-5349

J and R Training Center

820 E. Business 77, Suite B & C, San Benito, TX 78586

(956) 230-5669

LHCT Training Center

328 East Frontage Road, Alamo, TX 78516

(956) 782-0070

McAllen Careers Institute

304 S. Col. Rowe Blvd. (2nd Street), McAllen, TX 78501

(956) 618-5800

MED URGV, LLC

1000 East US Highway 83, Suite P, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 223-8819

New Start School, The

709 North Main, McAllen, TX 78501

(956) 682-5695

RGV Vo-Tech

600 Lindberg Avenue, McAllen, TX 78503

(956) 867-0505

Rio Grande Valley College

5419 N. Cage Boulevard, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 781-6800

SixRNs Institute

1018 West Wisconsin Road, Edinburg, TX 78539

(956) 513-1748

South Texas Nursing Academy

200 East Expressway 83, Suite J-1, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 781-6100

South Texas School of Bartending

421 South International Boulevard, Weslaco, TX 78596

(956) 968-5227

South Texas Training Center

213 East Ferguson Street, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 782-7100

South Texas Training Center

1901 West Highway 77, San Benito, TX 78586

(956) 399-9698

South Texas Vocational Technical Institute

2400 West Daffodil Avenue, McAllen, TX 78501

(956) 631-1107

South Texas Vocational Technical Institute

2419 East Haggar Avenue, Weslaco, TX 78596

(956) 969-1564

South Texas Vocational Technical Institute

2144 Central Boulevard, Brownsville, TX 78520

(956) 554-3515

South Texas Welding School

4001 North Veterans Boulevard, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 289-6013

Southern Careers Institute, Inc. - Brownsville

935 North Expressway, Brownsville, TX 78523

(956) 550-9962

Southern Careers Institute, Inc. - Harlingen

1122 Morgan, Harlingen, TX 78550

(956) 428-4999

Southern Careers Institute-South Texas, Incorporated

1500 North Jackson Road, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 632-2700

Southern Industrial Careers Center

901 East Expressway 83, La Feria, TX 78559

(956) 800-3191

Southwest School of Business and Technical Careers South Texas

3900 North 23rd Street, McAllen, TX 78501

(956) 687-7007

Valley Baptist Medical Center School of Vocational Nursing

2110 Benwood Drive, Harlingen, TX 78550

(956) 389-1721

Valley Grande Institute for Academic Studies

345 South Texas Boulevard, Weslaco, TX 78596

(956) 973-1945

Data Center, UTRGV

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

69

HI GH SCHOOL EN RO LLMEN T BY D IST RICTS DISTRICT NAME

COUNTY

TYPE

Brownsville ISD

Cameron

Independent

58

47,669

2,852

Harlingen CISD

Cameron

Independent

32

18,650

1,112

La Feria ISD

Cameron

Independent

7

3,634

205

Los Fresnos CISD

Cameron

Independent

16

10,872

608

Point Isabel ISD

Cameron

Independent

5

2,524

123

Rio Hondo ISD

Cameron

Independent

5

2,138

137

San Benito CISD

Cameron

Independent

23

10,885

680

Santa Maria ISD

Cameron

Independent

5

692

43

Santa Rosa ISD

Cameron

Independent

4

1,131

77

South Texas ISD

Cameron

Independent

6

3,589

626

Horizon Montessori Public Schools

Hidalgo

Charter

3

1,304

Midvalley Academy Charter District

Hidalgo

Charter

3

346

110

Idea Public Schools

Hidalgo

Charter

44

23,525

545

Vanguard Academy

Hidalgo

Charter

3

2,397

34

Excellence In Leadership Academy

Hidalgo

Charter

1

201

Donna ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

22

15,312

714

Edcouch-Elsa ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

9

5,128

328

Edinburg CISD

Hidalgo

Independent

43

34,466

1,995

Hidalgo ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

7

3,268

224

McAllen ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

34

24,195

1,537

Mercedes ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

12

5,640

336

Mission CISD

Hidalgo

Independent

23

15,717

886

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

44

32,593

1,975

Progreso ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

6

1,974

138

Sharyland ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

14

10,025

746

La Joya ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

37

29,533

1,649

Weslaco ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

23

17,750

1,108

La Villa ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

3

591

31

Monte Alto ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

3

1,055

48

Valley View ISD

Hidalgo

Independent

8

4,519

303

Rio Grande City CISD

Starr

Independent

14

10,898

653

San Isidro ISD

Starr

Independent

2

249

13

Roma ISD

Starr

Independent

10

6,486

400

Lasara ISD

Willacy

Independent

2

459

21

Lyford CISD

Willacy

Independent

3

1,542

121

Raymondville ISD

Willacy

Independent

6

2,146

150

San Perlita ISD

Willacy

Independent

3

281

20

543

353,384

13,396

Total Rio Grande Valley Data Center, UTRGV

70

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

SCHOOLS

ENROLLMENT

GRADUATES

UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES South Texas College 3201 West Pecan McAllen, TX 78502 (956) 872-8311 www.southtexascollege.edu

Texas Southmost College 80 Fort Brown Brownsville, TX 78520 (956) 544-8200 www.tsc.edu

Texas State Technical College-Harlingen 1902 North Loop 499 Harlingen, TX 78550 (956) 364-4000 www.harlingen.tstc.edu

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 1201 West University Drive Edinburg, TX 78541 (956) 665-2100 www.utrgv.edu

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

School of Medicine 2102 Treasure Hills Boulevard, Suite 2.112 Harlingen, TX 78550 (956) 296-1900 http://www.utrgv.edu/school-of-medicine/index. htm

Texas A&M University

Higher Education Center-McAllen Tres Lagos McAllen, TX 78504 (956) 683-8647 www.tamu.edu ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

71

72

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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UTRGV: A University for the Entire Rio Grande Valley After two years, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is expanding its presence in the region and its educational opportunities.

Two years ago, when The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was a few months removed from its inaugural opening, President Guy Bailey described the impact the university would have on the region.

“Our purpose,” he told a crowd of community stakeholders back in March 2015, “is to be a university for the entire Valley, not just one part of it.”

Today, UTRGV is fulfilling that purpose with a mission of transforming the Rio Grande Valley and beyond through an innovative and accessible educational environment.

Expanding Our Footprint UTRGV’s impact can be felt throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The university boasts campuses, facilities, and/or medical clinics as far west as Rio Grande City and as far east as South Padre Island.

Here are some of UTRGV’s newer projects: • On our Brownsville campus, we are constructing the Music, Science, and Learning Center, scheduled to open in 2018, and the Interdisciplinary Academic Building, scheduled to open in 2019.

• On our Edinburg campus, we are constructing the new Science Building, scheduled to open in 2018, and the Interdisciplinary Engineering and Academic Building, scheduled to open in 2019.

• The Knapp Medical Center/UTRGV Family Practice Residency Clinic in Mercedes opened in July of 2017. The residency program, the first of its kind in the Mid-Valley, allows the UTRGV School of Medicine to continue its vision of being a catalyst to expand healthcare in the Rio Grande Valley.

• STARGATE Technology Center, Boca Chica Beach, is scheduled to open in 2017. The center will allow research and collaboration on a variety of projects and

will serve as a base for radio frequency laboratories, classrooms, business incubator offices, and flexible lab and research space.

• The Innovation Incubation Center in Weslaco, scheduled to open in 2018, is a partnership between UTRGV and the City of Weslaco and its Economic Development Corporation. It will serve as a mixed-use business incubator that will promote education, entrepreneurship, and economic development.

• The UTRGV Research Facility at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in McAllen is scheduled to open in 2018. The facility, a public-private partnership between the university, DHR, and DHR Real Estate Management, LLC, will provide UTRGV and its School of Medicine with vital space for medical research, as well as for educational and clinical uses.

Impactful Research The university also continues to strengthen its research enterprise. In August of 2017, UTRGV ranked third in The University of Texas System and in the top 20 of minority-serving academic institutions in the nation for receiving the most research funding for science and engineering.

Faculty and students alike are partaking in a variety of research projects that not only enhance their own academic career but also impact the Rio Grande Valley and beyond.

Some of the most notable research initiatives include: • The UTRGV South Texas Diabetes and Obesity Institute, which has facilities in both Brownsville and Edinburg: The institute aims to advance the health of South Texas and the world through

cutting-edge research on diabetes, obesity, and related disorders.

• Researchers, including students from UTRGV’s School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, in collaboration with Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Texas A&M

Galveston, are building one of the biggest artificial “low-profile” reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, designed to help maintain and grow habitat for fish, like red snapper.

• A team of four UTRGV mechanical engineering students has designed a prototype device that will help Parkinson’s disease victims write legibly again. The development of their Self-Stabilization Holder, a yearlong endeavor which became their senior design project, was guided by Dr. Karen Lozano, professor of mechanical engineering.

• Under the guidance of Dr. Kathryn E. Perez, assistant professor of biology, UTRGV biology students Marco Arturo Martinez Cruz and Eli Ruiz discovered a new species of snail, which they named.

• Scientists and students from UTRGV’s Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy (CGWA) were key contributors to the first direct detection of gravitational waves, which was announced worldwide in February of 2016. More than 20 authors on the detection paper, published by Physical Review Letters, are current or past members of UTRGV’s CGWA.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

73

74

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

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South Texas College: The Valley’s Most Affordable College

After more than two decades, South Texas College has established a tradition centered on student success and achievement. This is a result of the professional commitment and dedication of the entire college faculty, staff, and leadership team and has made STC an integral part of the growth in this region.

STC takes pride in emphasizing its quality of education, along with the most affordable tuition rates in the nation.

Priorities for the college are to not only provide students with outstanding instruction from dedicated staff and faculty but also to do everything possible to help students graduate with absolutely zero debt. At South Texas College, students receive a quality education at only a fraction of the cost.

These priorities enable STC to claim the honor of being known as the Valley’s Most Affordable College and the most affordable online college in the nation!

The estimated cost for tuition and fees for fall 2017 averages $210 for three credit hours for in-district residents (https://catalog.southtexascollege.edu/ tuition-fees/).

Through the college’s online portal, students have access to more than 500 online course selections, along with access to full library services, registration, advising, counseling, payment services, financial aid, the bookstore, and many other resources. In fact, students can earn one of 29 degrees and certificates entirely online in pursuit of their career goals.

SR Education Group, an online education publisher, recently ranked South Texas College Online at the very top of their 2016 Most Affordable Online

Colleges list. Published on OnlineU. org, this ranking identifies South Texas College as the most affordable online college in the nation!

The ranking is significant, as South Texas College Online is experiencing record growth in student enrollment. In Fall 2015, South Texas College Online hit a record high enrollment of 5,925 students. Six percent of the total STC student body took classes completely online, while 17 percent took at least one online class.

At the recent rate of growth, South Texas College Online projects its online enrollment to be 14,498 by 2020.

Originally known as South Texas Community College, the institution opened its doors in 1993 at its primary campus on Pecan Boulevard in McAllen.

STCC became STC in 2005 after the college’s selection as one of only three community colleges in Texas to pilot a four-year bachelor’s degree program in applied technology.

STC now boasts four baccalaureatedegree programs, including technology management (TMGT), computer and information technologies (CIT), medical and health services management (MHSM) and organizational leadership – competency based (OL).

As a result of Senate Bill 2118 passed during the 2017 Texas Legislative Session, STC plans to begin offering a Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) by the fall of 2018.

The college serves Hidalgo and Starr counties on five campuses, including its Mid-Valley campus in Weslaco, the Starr County campus in Rio Grande City, and the Pecan campus the Dr. Ramiro R. Casso Nursing and Allied Health campus, and the Technology Campus all

located in McAllen.

STC serves more than 32,000 college-credit students and offers over 120 degree and certificate options in a variety of liberal arts, social science, business, math, science, technology, advanced manufacturing, and nursing and allied health fields.

For parents, choosing a college or university is one of the biggest decisions their child will face, and there are a few things they can do to ease this decision process and help their child find the institution of higher learning that is right for him/her.

The cost of attending public and private universities has been rising steadily the past few years, leaving many with a large amount of debt after graduation. One solution would be to attend a community college to save on tuition for the first couple of years. This can dramatically reduce the number of student loans needed to pay for classes.

Most core-curriculum courses in the State of Texas are transferable to any public college or university. This means the core courses taken at South Texas College will transfer to any Texas public institution.

Another money-saving solution is to live at home and commute to school.

While not all college students live at home, families can save thousands of dollars in the long run if they do. The cost for room and board is a large part of student debt and can account for almost half of overall expenses.

Want to learn more? Prospective students and parents are welcome to visit https://discover.southtexascollege. edu/ to find answers to all of your questions.

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

75

HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER OPENING FALL 2018

SAME AGGIE SPIRIT, NEW ADDRESS HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER AT MCALLEN The Higher Education Center at McAllen extends existing Texas A&M University degrees in Biomedical Science, Interdisciplinary Engineering, Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology, Public Health, and Food Systems Industry Management to the people of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

Building on Texas A&Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 100-year tradition of service to the region, the Higher Education Center at McAllen will support the educational needs of Texas through top-tier educational programs that fulfill individual student career goals, enhance continued economic development in the region, and help provide the necessary skilled workforce.

76

ADMISSIONS.TAMU.EDU/HECM ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

STARR

WILLACY HILDAGO

RIO GRANDE VALLEY HOUSING AND RESIDENTIAL PERMITS

CAMERON

MCALLEN-EDINBURG-MISSION METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA HOUSING

PERMITS

Sales

Dollar Volume

Average Price

Median Price

Single-Family

2-4 Family

5+ Family

Total

2014

2,483

$333,249,999

$134,213

$118,000

2014

2871

423

210

3504

2015

2,728

$378,174,597

$138,627

$123,000

2015

2929

385

992

4306

2016

2,759

$405,864,150

$147,106

$132,000

2016

2921

592

1055

4568

2017

3,035

$463,036,713

$152,566

$138,500

2017

2705

745

804

4254

2017 Price Range Distribution 2014 - 2017 Permit Distribution

$400k +

2014 - 2017 Average Home Price

$300k - $399k $200k - $299k $100k -$199k $70k - $99k

2014

2015

2016

2017

$134k

$138k

$147k

$152k

2014

2015

2016

2017

$0 - 69k

Single Family

2 - 4 Family

5+ Family

BROWNSVILLE-HARLINGEN METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA HOUSING Sales

PERMITS Dollar Volume

Average Price

Median Price

Single-Family

2-4 Family

5+ Family

Total

2014

1,997

$301,904,456

$151,179

$116,000

2014

1179

96

142

1417

2015

2,131

$315,807,276

$148,197

$120,000

2015

1129

73

83

1285

2016

2,175

$342,912,697

$157,661

$130,000

2016

1217

104

248

1569

2017

2,210

$345,802,880

$156,472

$129,900

2017

846

30

0

876

2017 Price Range Distribution

2014 - 2017 Permit Distribution

2014 - 2017 Average Home Price

$400k + $300k - $399k $200k - $299k $100k -$199k $70k - $99k

Single Family

2 - 4 Family

$151k

$148k

$157k

$156k

2014

2015

2016

2017

5+ Family

$0 - 69k

DATA ASSEMBLED BY

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

77

Federal Legislators

U.S. Senator John Cornyn South Texas Office 222 E. Van Buren, Suite 404 Harlingen, Texas 78550 (956) 423-0162 (202) 224-2934 (Washington, DC)

U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar District 28 117 E. Tom Landry Mission, Texas 78572 (956) 424-3942 (202) 225-1640 (Washington, DC)

78

ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT OF THE

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz South Texas Office (956) 686-7339 200 S. 10th St., Suite 1603 McAllen, Texas 78501 (202) 224-5922 (Washington, DC)

U.S. Congressman Filemon Vela District 34 333 Ebony Ave. Brownsville, Texas 78520 (956) 544-8352 (202) 225-9901 (Washington, DC)

U.S. Congressman Vicente Gonzalez District 15 2864 W. Trenton Rd. Edinburg, Texas 78539 (956) 682-5545 (202) 225-2531 (Washington, DC)

State Legislators

Senator Judith Zaffirini District 21 1407 Washington St. Laredo, Texas 78040 (956) 722-2293 (512) 463-0121 (Capitol)

Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. District 27 7 N. Park Plaza Brownsville, Texas 78521 (956) 548-0227 (512) 463-0127 (Capitol)

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa District 20 612 Nolana, Suite 410-B McAllen, Texas 78504 (956) 972-1841 (512) 463-0120 (Capitol)

Rep. René O. Oliveira District 37 855 W. Price Rd., Suite #22 Brownsville, Texas 78520 (956) 542-1828 (512) 463-0640 (Capitol)

Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr. District 36 121 E. Tom Landry Mission, Texas 78572 (956) 584-8999 (512) 463-0704 (Capitol)

Rep. Eddie Lucio III District 38 1324 E. Madison St. Brownsville, Texas 78520 (956) 542-2800 (512) 463-0606 (Capitol)

Rep. Ryan Guillen District 31 100 N. FM 3167, Suite 212 Rio Grande City, Texas 78582 (956) 716-4838 (512) 463-0416 (Capitol)

Rep. Oscar Longoria District 35 1320 S. Main St. Penitas TX, 78576 (956) 580-6944 (512) 463-0645 (Capitol)

Rep. Armando “Mando” Martinez District 39 914 W. Pike Blvd.

Weslaco, Texas 78596 (956) 447-9473 (512) 463-0530 (Capitol)

Rep. Terry Canales District 40 101 N. 10th Ave., Suite B Edinburg, Texas 78541 (956) 383-0860 (512) 463-0426 (Capitol)

Rep. Bobby Guerra District 41 10213 North 10th St., Suite B McAllen, Texas 78504 (956) 292-0407 (512) 463-0578 (Capitol)

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