Elsa Becoming New Crossroads

Daniel Rivera, the executive director of Elsa’s EDC, says changes in traffic patterns and commuter routes are benefitting his city.

Elsa was once a city off the Rio Grande Valley’s beaten path.

Tucked away from the region’s vehicle-heavy corridor – Expressway 83 – Elsa’s location along state Highway 107 formerly made it appear as if nothing of significance could happen here. Times change, however, as do growth patterns and emerging traffic routes where commuters seek new ways to get to work.

Elsa, which is located where state Highway 107 and FM 88 meet, is developing as a traffic crossroads in eastern Hidalgo County. (Courtesy)

Elsa has become one of those places where remoteness has morphed into a city becoming something of a crossroads. Weslaco is less than eight miles to the south and its growth is edging toward Elsa. Edinburg’s fast-developing Monte Cristo area is even closer – less than three miles away – and 107 in Elsa is known as Edinburg Avenue.

On the intersection of Highway 107 and FM 88 – the thoroughfares coming from Edinburg and Weslaco, respectively – nearly 15,000 vehicles a day cross that center-point on an average daily basis. More commuters have discovered Elsa in recent years as a preferred west-to-east corridor in avoiding the never ending construction on the expressway.

“It’s giving us more visibility,” said Daniel Rivera, the executive director of the Elsa Economic Development Corporation, of the changing driving patterns. “More people are driving here instead of the expressway.”

That’s one piece of explaining how a city with 6,000 residents can have a Wal-Mart Supercenter that attracts two million customer visits a year.

Elsa’s parks systems are seeing new improvements and added features.

“We’re a microcosm of the Valley,” Rivera said of his city’s fit in a region of rapid development. “There’s something happening here from a more rural aspect than what you see in McAllen or Weslaco.”

New Destination

Rivera looks at what he calls a “heat map” on a computer screen in his office.

It’s an overlay of what the Elsa EDC identifies as being the “Wal-Mart Corridor.” The superstore is on FM 88, the highway connecting the Delta Area of Edcouch-Elsa to Weslaco and the Mid-Valley. The heat map shows Elsa’s Wal-Mart attracting customers from a wide radius beyond the Delta Area. Shoppers are driving into Elsa from the eastern side of Edinburg, Monte Alto, La Villa, Santa Rosa in Cameron County and even Raymondville in Willacy County, which lost its Wal-Mart 10 years ago.

Elsa EDC Executive Director Daniel Rivera looks over a "hot map" showing the wide reach the city’s retail area has in adjacent communities. — Elsa EDC Executive Director Daniel Rivera looks over a “hot map” showing the wide reach the city’s retail area has in adjacent communities.

There’s even a smattering of shoppers coming from the north side of Weslaco as that city grows toward Elsa on 88.

“They find it easier and smoother to drive here to shop than getting on the expressway or going through a bunch of traffic lights to get to Weslaco or McAllen,” Rivera said.

FM 88 is indeed a smooth ride with an expanded and improved roadway leading from Weslaco to the Delta Area. Shoppers from the nearby communities have more than the Wal-Mart to frequent in visiting Elsa. The city also has a large H-E-B store, a CVS Pharmacy and a new Sonic Drive-In along 88 and adjacent to the Wal-Mart. Shipley’s Donuts and a Scooter’s coffee shop have each opened locations over the last year. Taco Bell has also recently announced plans to build a new restaurant in Elsa.

A new Sonic Drive-In and Wal-Mart Supercenter in Elsa are among the ingredients attracting shoppers and diners to the city.

“We’re seeing growth,” Rivera said. “Our challenge is to sustain that growth and build up from it.”

Improving Quality Of Life

One segment of the community that Elsa needs to upgrade is its healthcare systems, Rivera said.

The city lacks an urgent care facility of the sort commonly found in many Valley communities. There is also a need for a night clinic and a nursing home in Elsa, Rivera said. Local residents at the present time need to travel to Weslaco and upper Valley communities to receive those types of medical services, he said.

One aspect where Elsa has seen major improvements is in its parks systems. Rivera has helped to secure regional and state grants to go with local funding to build a hike-and-bike trail linking Elsa and Edcouch on what was once a Union Pacific railroad line. It’s why the linear park is called the Pacific Trails and it includes a food truck park and outdoor entertainment area. The city is building further parks improvements, including a splash pad, a rock garden, and outdoor facilities to play pickleball and volleyball.

An old rail line that went through Elsa has been transformed into a hike-and-bike trail.

In the midst of those improvements, Rivera and the EDC are working to help small business owners in Elsa. There are well-done one-minute videos on the EDC’s YouTube channel that are entitled “From Elsa With Love,” and feature local businesses with a narrator telling their stories.

The EDC has helped these businesses boost their social media presence along with providing insights on how to improve their positioning on Google searches. Training and information has been provided to Elsa’s small businesses via the UTRGV’s office of workforce and economic development.

“We want to provide more economic opportunities here,” Rivera said. “If you do get a job in a nearby city, we want to be a community where you can still live here and have access to the sort of things found in bigger cities.”

Community