Texas Rising July/August 2008

Big Times in the Valley

Donna’s population and commercial presence grow in South Texas.

by Clint Shields

Local Government
Tools that Made
the Difference

Donna

Donna city officials have more than 50 housing subdivisions and 50 commercial developments in planning or under construction. As an incentive to build, the city is offering three-year tax abatements to new homeowners on a sliding scale:

  • Year one – 100 percent
  • Year two – 66 percent
  • Year three – 34 percent

Some of the major commercial projects include:

  • Bland Farms facility – will provide as many as 50 jobs
  • Donna Medical Center – up to nine medical and nine retail offices
  • Sunset Plaza – dentist office, restaurant, laundry facility and others
  • Donna Business Center – five new retail offices
  • The Ritz – 7,000-square-foot, $300,000 investment

The city of Donna’s population has risen and fallen throughout its history, increasing by more than 150 percent in the 1920s and then decreasing during the 1960s. But it’s on the rise again, bringing the need for housing, businesses and medical care to the area.

“One of the biggest drivers in our population growth has been the overall growth of the Rio Grande Valley,” says P.R. Avila, city manager in Donna. “We’re still seeing a lot of new home construction, even with the economy having slowed some. And our business population has grown in the last two years like never before.”

Donna’s population stood just shy of 13,000 in 1990, grew to almost 16,000 in 2000 and is currently near 18,000. That’s not counting as many as 6,000 residents who live outside the city limits, says Avila. As many as 22,000 residents could live there by 2010 and almost 30,000 by 2020, according to the Texas State Data Center.

“We believe that Donna, in the next 10 years, will double and maybe triple in size,” says Rick Morales, Donna’s mayor. “The future is extremely bright.”

Meeting the Need

Providing for that future starts with development, and Donna has plenty going right now. Two new elementary schools are handling the educational needs of new residents, Avila says, as well as providing jobs for administrators, teachers and support staff.

More than 50 new subdivisions — totaling more than 1,800 individual lots — are either planned or already in development, offering residents a chance at home ownership, with some added perks.

“The city is offering three-year tax abatements to new homeowners as an incentive to actually build here,” says Avila.

Worth the Wait

Donna officials received permits for an international bridge almost 30 years ago. With completion scheduled for fall 2009, the bridge will contribute an estimated $3 million annually in tolls alone, with additional sales tax revenue from hundreds of millions of dollars in industrial and residential development.

In addition, it will create jobs, which will hopefully bring new residents to the area, says P.R. Avila, Donna’s city manager.

“Some of the federal employees may be transferred from other ports of entry,” he says. “Hopefully that will lead them to buy a house here in Donna to be close to the job.”

And jobs are coming to town as well.

Bland Farms, an international produce supplier, will open a 100,000 square-foot cold-storage and distribution facility, which will provide up to 15 full-time jobs and as many as 30 part-time positions.

“Bland Farms chose the city of Donna for its proximity to several U.S./Mexico ports of entry,” says Michael Hively, Bland’s chief financial officer and general manager. “We look forward to being a contributor to the economy of the city of Donna as well as a positive force in the community.”

A new hotel will open in 2008, and more than 50 other commercial developments, many of those multi-million dollar investments, are planned or under construction. They will house retail shopping, restaurants, dental and doctor’s offices, among others. Some of the new medical offices will actually be satellite offices of doctors with established practices in neighboring communities.

“We’re opening the door for our residents to not have to travel to other cities for medical care,” says Avila.

A big addition will be the Donna-Rio Bravo Bridge, slated for completion in November 2009.

“When you add city, state and federal jobs, you’re looking at about 80 new jobs that will come in with the bridge,” says Avila.

The bridge will link Donna with Rio Bravo, Mexico, and its 160,000 residents and is expected to generate more than $3 million annually in tolls alone. TR

For more information, contact the Donna Economic Development Foundation at (956) 464-3314 or visit www.ci.donna.lib.tx.us/.