Valdez: Weslaco’s Mid Valley International Industrial Park is filling up fast

1 month ago 54

WESLACO, Texas – Weslaco Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Steve Valdez has explained how the development of his city’s newest industrial came about and why it is already proving popular with tenants.

Mid Valley International Industrial Park has been developed on the corner FM 1015 (International Boulevard) and Mile 9 Road (Sugarcane Drive). The development is a master-planned, 146-plus acre, industrial and retail subdivision. Once all the easements were cut and interior roads built, the actual buildable space was reduced to 122 acres.

“So, we ran out of space in our existing industrial park. That park was probably upwards of about 300 acres of property. It is an older park. That park has been there probably for 30, 40, years. And so, the fact that there are few parcels left inside it, our EDC board of directors encouraged us as staff to go out and look for more space,” Valdez said.

“And so, fortunately for us, we found a 150-acre tract (of land) within a mile, right off 1015, to two minutes to the expressway from there. And so, we purchased the land, we developed it.”

In fact, Valdez said, Weslaco EDC over engineered it.

“So, we’ve got 55 feet wide concrete roads, two lanes, oversized infrastructure, the water, the sewer, the ability to have fiber-optic cable. It’s all there.”

Valdez said that as the EDC was divided up the property it kept back eight acres off of FM 1015.

“We made those commercial, and those sold fast, they sold at market value. So, that indicates that Weslaco is going to continue growing north,” Valdez explained.

With the other lots in the back, Weslaco EDC was able to bring in Glazer’s Beer & Beverage, Valdez pointed out.

“They are now operating in full swing there at the industrial park, and we’re so excited to have them there. They brought 200 jobs, and they liked the idea that they could get in their trucks, hit the expressway and go in each direction, almost equally to Rio Grande City and Roma, all the way to South Padre Island and Brownsville.

“So, that development, which ended up falling in our laps… we were really excited that it’s worked out for us well.”

Asked how much space the EDC now has left at the new industrial park, Valdez said:

“We’ve got, roughly… we started out with about 150 acres. And, as I mentioned, by the time you put your roads in and your drainage and detention ponds, we ended up with about 122 buildable acres. After Glaziers took 25, we are down to about 80 to 90.

“We also sold ten acres to UPS. They are another strategic partner for us as well. So, we have roughly about 80 acres once those two lots have been taken.

“We’re talking to three prospects that are… they’re always at different stages of the process. Some are soft leads. Some are strong leads. But we’ve got about three or four in the pipeline that we’re talking to, that are interested in.

“Mainly it’s because we’re strategically located right in the middle of the Valley, and so that’s been a real big help.”

Valdez made his remarks in a podcast recording with the Rio Grande Guardian. Asked about Weslaco EDC’s strong relationship with the international bridges at Donna and Progreso, Valdez said:

“Well, fortunately, both bridges have commercial access. So, you can bring trucks over.

“Progreso Bridge primarily handles grains, sorghum, soybeans. And a lot of the shipping that comes across stays close by. There’s a smaller industrial park going up there as well, and land is available there as well. And so, trucks do not have to go too far from the bridge before they turn around and go back across.

“Donna (International Bridge) just started accepting, from what I understand, empties going southbound. And so, once they start opening opportunities for trucks to come northbound, then that’s going to affect all of us. Mercedes, Donna, Weslaco, we’re all going to benefit from that kind of traffic.”

“So, as we started developing our industrial park, one of the first things we did was reach out to both Progreso and Donna to see how we could merge and how we could talk about planning this together at the same time.

“I think with Donna just recently announcing that they’re going commercial southbound, it’s just going to start opening up from there.”

Asked about the strategic advantage of the Mid Valley area, Valdez said the cities of Weslaco, Donna and Mercedes work well together.

“We’re so close to each other, so closely connected. There are always conversations happening between the cities. I think we’ve gone to the EDC in Mercedes a few times. We’ve communicated together. They’ve reached out to us for projects,” Valdez said.

“And the same thing, mainly with the bridge in Donna. I think about six months ago, we went out to visit just to see how progress was coming. And we’ve also reached out to Progreso and Rio Bravo, just to try to maintain those relationships as well. It’s all about strategic relationships. We call ourselves the Mid Valley and it’s about creating relationships with those partners.”

Editor’s Note: Here is a video recording of the podcast with Steve Valdez: