In the Heart of Weslaco

Gonzalez began by saying how beautiful Weslaco looks at night. What he wanted for the audience to consider is whether or not the community looks as beautiful by day, what he likes to refer to as the “windshield test.” He displayed pictures depicting such things as the handsome new Business Visitor Center, and followed these attractive scenes with images that were not as pleasing. Among the images were abandoned buildings, walls covered in graffiti, and yards with used tires and wrecked cars strewn about. He brought attention to businesses in town that have incorporated landscaping to dress up the appearance of their companies. He encouraged everyone to do their part, mentioning that just as graffiti attracts graffiti, making improvements will encourage others to be proactive and make improvements as well. The ultimate goal of the Heart of Weslaco Plan is to maintain the Heart of Weslaco as an attractive location for retail and office operations. The objective is to build on the work of the Main Street Program and the current streetscape project to attract investors to the core area. Gonzalez suggested that in the long-term, feasibility should be considered of acquiring land tracts along Business 83, cleaning them up, and selling the tracts for new development. He extended the suggestion to include infrastructure improvements tied to private development, demolition of substandard buildings, the addition of new parking areas, façade improvement and signage, and an increased effort in recruitment and marketing. Members of the community were given the opportunity to voice their ideas and opinions following the presentation. Ezequiel Reyna, local businessman, cited the advantageous location of Weslaco’s Main Street, as it is easily accessible from Expressway 83 and Texas Boulevard. To learn more about the Heart of Weslaco Plan, please contact the Economic Development Corporation at 956.969.0838, or stop by the Chamber of Commerce office located at 301 W. Railroad.