Tag Archives: Bill DeBrooke

‘Mayor Of Downtown’ Revitalizes City

Bill DeBrooke loved antiques and history and at Jackson Street Antiques, its owners spoke of how grateful they were “for all of his encouragement and opportunities over the years.” (Courtesy)

Bill DeBrooke’s family referred to him as a “Grandpa Grumpy Pants” with a scruffy appearance and coarse demeanor who was unconventional and yet highly successful in making projects flourish. DeBrooke’s look and style could be misleading. He possessed a genius for problem solving and built “a Monopoly-like real estate empire from scratch.” The empire in this case refers to Downtown Harlingen. It’s where he and his family acquired dozens of…

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