A research and education park for the Rio South Texas region is becoming a reality now that the master planning process is underway. Broaddus Planning of Austin is expected to complete the master plan by fall 2011.
The park will be located on 400 acres of public and private land near the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone. Located across from Reynosa, Mexico, it is one of the nation’s most active trade zones.
The driving force behind the park is a subcommittee made-up of affiliates of the North American Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education Initiative (NAAMREI). Sixty business, education, economic development, industry and government partners form the initiative, which was launched as a result of a U.S. Department of Labor investment. NAAMREI partners are focused on transforming the region into a world leader for advanced and rapid response manufacturing.
“There are more than 200 manufacturing companies in the McAllen area alone,” said Keith Patridge, president of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), and chair of the subcommittee that hired Broaddus Planning. “Another 250 companies are located in Reynosa.”
With the region becoming the North American hub for advanced manufacturing, Patridge said NAAMREI partners recognized the need for a research and education park.
“Today’s manufacturing product life cycle must respond rapidly to the needs of the customer,” he explained. “By having research and development facilities close by, our companies will be able to speed up the time it takes to go from concept to consumer.”
U.S. Congressman Ruben Hinojosa, working with MEDC and the City of McAllen, championed the efforts to secure funding for the park’s master plan.
The proposed park has a lot going for it even before groundbreaking.
“We have 20,000 to 30,000 acres of business, entertainment, housing and other amenities already built around the park site,” Patridge said.
It’s close to the McAllen Convention Center complex, downtown McAllen, McAllen Miller International Airport, and numerous hotels, restaurants and residential communities. The 6,000-acre Sharyland Plantation, a master planned community with schools, businesses, restaurants and homes, is adjacent to the site. The South Texas College (STC) Technology Campus, home of NAAMREI’s corporate headquarters, is also next to the park site.
“STC, the University of Texas-Pan American and Region One Education Service Center are our lead education agencies,” said STC’s Wanda Garza, who serves as NAAMREI’s chief executive officer. “Our school districts and colleges are already recruiting and training the skilled workforce needed for the region’s advanced manufacturing infrastructure.”
With so many amenities already in place, Patridge said the park will have a live, learn, work and play environment before it even opens.
There’s more good news for prospective park occupants. Its McAllen address, part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metropolitan Statistical Area, is one of the fastest growing metros in Texas and the nation. Its solid housing market, relatively stable employment and enviable cost of living also landed McAllen as seventh in the nation among Forbes’ Best Bang-for-the-Buck cities. And in March, Forbes named McAllen as the cleanest city in America.
For More Information about the Research Park in McAllen, Texas contact us at McAllen Economic Development Corporation Click Here
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