Tag Archives: Weslaco EDC

New Park Coming to Weslaco

Weslaco park groundbreaking

The City of Weslaco held a groundbreaking ceremony on July 23 for a new 45-acre park off of FM 88 and Mile 11 Road. This project will feature a one-mile park trail and additional nature trails, a fitness equipment station. Other athletic amenities will include tennis courts, basketball courts, sand volleyball courts and youth soccer fields. Kids will be able to enjoy a splash pad, while entertainment will have a…

Read More

Serrano Adds Boost to Weslaco EDC

Juan Jose Serrano, new EDC board member

The Weslaco Economic Development Corporation recently filled a vacancy on its board during a time when the city is experiencing robust growth and planning for additional development. Juan Jose Serrano was recently appointed by the City Commission. He fills the vacancy left as a result of the passing of businessman Rudy Cisneros. In his facility leader position as the H-E-B Retail Support Center in Weslaco, Serrano oversees 250 employees. The…

Read More

Weslaco Builds on its History

A registered historic landmark, the Villa de Cortez is a centerpiece of the redevelopment of downtown Weslaco. (Courtesy)

In a 1950s-era two-story white building “smack in the middle of downtown Weslaco,” as Mario Mendiola describes it, the realtor is trying to make a go of a major renovation project he hopes will give the city’s core a boost. “There’s so much potential in this area,” Mendiola said of his two-year effort to renovate a six-decades-old building on the corner of Texas and Sixth streets. “I want to help…

Read More

Training grant to benefit local small businesses

Weslaco EDC Check Presentation

Custom training for local small businesses is the focus of a Weslaco EDC grant. The $100,000 grant will fund South Texas College in providing training in retail, manufacturing and logistics through Sept. 30, 2019. A ceremonial check presentation took place Nov 1 for the partnership to increase both high skill and high wage jobs in the Mid-Valley region. “Workforce training is one of the biggest negotiators in today’s economic projects,”…

Read More

INNO Highlights Impact of Future Workforce

South Texas College held its sixth annual INNO Conference dedicated to the discussion of preparing students for the workforce and jobs of the future. (photo STC)

It is urgent students are ready for jobs of the future. According to those speaking at INNO at STC, now more than ever, college graduates with real-world experience are needed for even the most entry level of jobs. Last week, INNO, STC’s sixth annual Binational Innovation Conference, welcomed those in industry, education and economic development. Each brought information focused on innovation as well as the impact of students on the…

Read More

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Laurie Simmons is the manager of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Center for Innovation and Commercialization in Weslaco. (VBR)

The Rio Grande Valley is a complex network of interconnected communities bound by culture, geography and economics. At times in its history and into the present, the region sometimes struggles to overcome territorial squabbles to work together for the common good. With the merger of campuses into the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the concept of a regional university represents another step in uniting the border region. And a…

Read More

Downtown Weslaco on the Verge of “Hitting it Big”

Pedro Ayala of BUILDrgv and Weslaco EDC Director Steven Valdez

The historic, Spanish-architecturally inspired Villa de Cortez, built in 1928 in downtown Weslaco, was the perfect venue for “The Future of Downtown” dinner Aug. 30 hosted by BUILDrgv (Building Urban & Innovative Land Development in the Rio Grande Valley), an organization who hopes to spark a conversation about how to engage with your downtown. “These events are to bring people together,” says Pedro Ayala, the evening’s host, founder and chief…

Read More