April Castaneda is a multitasker as are many city administrators in smaller communities.

She is the new executive director of the Donna Economic Development Corporation while also serving as the de facto manager of the local chamber. The latter had been inactive and the former was close to it before Castaneda recently made the move from the Weslaco Economic Development Corporation to lead a similar organization in Donna.

For Castaneda, it’s an “opportunity and challenge to build from the ground up,” she says at the Donna Public Library with Mayor David Moreno seated nearby. The Mid-Valley city of nearly 17,000 residents has seen a spate of new retailing with the Shops at 493. The 200,000-square-foot retail power center has most recently seen a Chick-fil-A and a Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen open on its grounds.

The view from nearby Weslaco, where Castaneda was the EDC’s director of business development, was one of a community growing but that could do even better with an improved focus and more expertise. 

“I’m goal oriented and I like to chase opportunities,” she said. “We’re getting the word out that Donna is here and we’re the next community to grow in this region.”

Seeing The Potential

Donna and its neighboring Mid-Valley cities of Mercedes and Weslaco are experiencing some of the most visible and rapid retail and business growth in the Rio Grande Valley.

Unlike McAllen and Pharr, these three cities still have open land to capitalize on along their Expressway 83 corridors. Developers like San Antonio-based Merit CRE are active in building and opening new retail shops in the three cities.

“We have a new mindset here in Donna,” Mayor Moreno said. “We now have the anchors (stores) and developers want to come here more than ever.”

Gaining additional growth in Donna is much more likely if it can build a sound EDC and revive its chamber. Castaneda with her four years of experience at the Weslaco EDC to go with a previous 10-year tenure at South Texas College brings a record of experience in economic development and organizational management. She is also a Mid-Valley native in being from and still living in Mercedes. 

“She sees the potential we see here,” Moreno said of the city’s new EDC director.

A City With A Bridge

Castaneda is in her fourth month on the job and is going through an active to-do list.

Building a good marketing plan and getting in front of developers and investors was an early priority. Engaging with the community and small business owners via personal contact and a social media presence were early action steps. Having events like ribbon cuttings, groundbreakings and job fairs add a buzz to a community’s momentum.

Donna is unique in that it is a small community with an international bridge. The Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge just south of the city has crossings of over 50,000 vehicles per month. The city’s leadership is conferring with its representatives in Congress and Austin to work toward improvements in inspection facilities that will boost cargo traffic across the bridge. Castaneda sees industrial opportunities in cold storage and light manufacturing in areas adjacent to the bridge.

“We were waiting for people to come here,” Mayor Moreno said. “Now, we are being intentional and making efforts to go out and recruit and look for business.”

Quality Of Life Issues

Beyond economic development, Donna is working with the Texas Water Development Board on a $10 million project to make much needed improvements in its waste water systems.

Donna has long struggled with municipal water issues. Those problems not only frustrate local residents but also create enduring image problems and can lead developers to wonder if the city can meet its water needs. The water development board project would go a long way toward repairing those shortcomings. 

Another quality-of-life issue is parks. The city broke ground in early September on the Donna Sports Memorial Complex at 200 East South Avenue. The mayor says it’s Donna’s first new park in over 20 years and will include baseball fields, an amphitheater, walking trails and a dog park. 

It’s all part of a story Mayor Moreno and new EDC director Castaneda are trying to bring together in working with other city leaders. A city strategically located between McAllen and Harlingen with open stretches of expressway frontage is poised for growth.

“I don’t see why a city like ours can’t toot its own horn,” Moreno said. “We have a lot going on and we’re doing things here that haven’t been done for many years in our city.”