Stakeholders meet to discuss 400-acre research and education park

McAllen Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Keith Patridge. (Photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

McALLEN, June 27 – Stakeholders involved in the planning of a 400-acre research and education park were invited to a reception at the McAllen Chamber of Commerce last week.

Stephen Coulston, of Broaddus Planning, provided a power point presentation of what the park might look like. The park, to be located adjacent to the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone, would be a mixed use development, with retail, commercial, education, industry, research, and housing among its components.

“This is about a shared vision and a collaborative process of bringing together a group of people with great ideas to identify opportunities for growth that will create jobs through synergies in education, research and industry. It is about collaboration and partnerships, essentially,” Coulston told the Guardian, at the end of his presentation.

Coulston said his company has been involved in something broadly similar – the Research Valley Bio Corridor currently being developed in College Station-Bryan. However, that park is focusing on the bio tech industry, whereas the McAllen park will focus on advanced manufacturing.

Coulston said his company, which is based in Austin, Texas, provides a research park market assessment and conducts physical master planning. “The science and the art we do is to capture the vision and strategies of clients like this group here and cast those into a physical planning environment and strategy for moving forward,” he said.

The McAllen park will be unlike anything else seen in the Valley, Coulston said, because currently there are no sizable research parks. “It is going to be a truly regional asset that can help transform the region, combining research, education, development, and manufacturing. We want to develop a plan that fosters that kind of environment,” he said.

Hunt Valley Development is also part of the McAllen project. Its vice president, Paul Curtin, spoke at the stakeholders’ reception.

The lead entity involved in the McAllen Research and Education Park is the North American Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education Initiative, which set up a research and education park committee to oversee the project. NAAMREI has over 60 businesses, education, economic development, industry and government partners. Its lead agencies are the McAllen Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the Rio South Texas Economic Development Council, South Texas College, the University of Texas-Pan American, and Region One Education Service Center.

“I truly believe this research and education park will be the driver that transforms this region and positions us to be a world leader in advanced manufacturing,” said Wanda Garza, executive officer of NAAMREI.

“It is going to drive our education pipeline so that we keep our talent here. For me, just to know our children will not have to go to other places to have this kind of opportunity is so important. All the brain power is here and we are going to develop it. That, you can take to the bank.”

Garza said she believes the region has not done a good enough job of telling its story and vision. “We are getting hits to our website from over 15 countries all around the world. We need to begin to realize we are globally connected,” Garza said.

MEDC President Keith Patridge said it is important to point out where things are at with the development of the park.

“This is not about bricks and mortar, when we will break ground, or who is going to occupy the building. It is really about a vision for the community and where we see the community needing to be for the next 23 years,” Patridge said.

“Twenty three years ago we came up with a plan based upon our strengths at that time, based upon the global environment at that time and we said to the community, we think we need to focus on this international metro area and focus on this thing called the maquiladora program. The community said we trust you; we support you; do it. And, we were successful.”

Now is the time to build on that success, Patridge said, pointing out that the Reynosa-McAllen region is home to hundreds of manufacturing firms.

“We now have to look at what comes next because just as all of us change, things change in the life of a community. We are now seeing the need to change, to adapt to changes in the world, changes in the local marketplace. The success of the last 23 years brought us to this point,” Patridge said.

With the new park will come higher skilled and higher paid jobs, Patridge predicted.

“We are already seeing research and development companies move their headquarters here. We have to have a place for them to settle. A bird needs a nest to land in or they keep flying. We have to have that place. That is what this is all about. What is going to take us to the next 23 years? What do we need to be ready for it?”

Patridge said the emphasis on manufacturing has been validated by the market research conducted by the outside consultants. “They did not take it from us. They went out and interviewed our companies and found that, yes, we are right on track