MISSION, Texas - Killam Development held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday in partnership with Mission city leaders for the highly-anticipated Sharyland Business Park.
Located at the southwest corner of Old Military Highway and Anzalduas Highway, the 175-acre plot is part of Killam’s 3,400-acre master planned community. Radcliffe “Cliffe” Killam II, president and CEO of Killam Development, said that the park is just the beginning of what will eventually be 1,000 acres of industrial space outfitted to accommodate manufacturing, logistics, cold storage and distribution facilities.
In his speech, Killam acknowledged the area’s growing prominence as companies seek to re-shore their operations and said the park will be equipped to meet their needs.
“We take the responsibility of being the biggest landowner around the Anzalduas International Bridge very seriously,” said Killam. “And, we’ll work hand in hand with our partners in the region, including those across the border, to maximize opportunities for the entire Rio Grande Valley. The recent shifts we’ve seen in supply-chain strategies around the world and the growing number of businesses near-shoring, positions the Valley to be a key player to the United States. This development will ensure businesses have the space and infrastructure they need to meet that demand.”
Killam also recognized the role of Rep. Henry Cuellar, who acquired a $3 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) to kickstart the project. The grant will cover drainage and other infrastructure improvement costs and create approximately 300 jobs. The Mission Economic Development Corporation, who invested an additional $750,000 to the project, will oversee the grant funds.
Cuellar, who also spoke at the ceremony, thanked EDA Regional Director Jorge Ayala for seeing the job-creation potential in the project. He congratulated the public and the private entities involved in the industrial park and said it will be the impetus for more economic growth in the region.
“What the Killams are going to be doing here is they’re going to provide things that will become game-changers and will provide catalysts for the growth of Mission and South Texas,” said Cuellar.
Mission Mayor Armando O’Caña beamed with pride as he spoke about the park’s importance to the city.
“Today, one more goal is fulfilled in the commercial and residential development of our city by breaking ground on what will be one of the most important expansions in the region in recent memory,” said O’Caña.
With residential, retail, commercial and, now, manufacturing possibilities found within the master planned community, O’Caña dubbed the development “Killam on a Mission” and said he hopes more investors will be enticed by all the city has to offer.
“Whoever invests in Mission is looking toward the future, not looking at today,” said O’Caña.
From access roads and networks that reach Canada to nearby international bridges, O’Caña says Mission is primed for all kinds of business, even inviting SpaceX and Tesla to look at the city for future expansion.
“We’re available,” said O’Caña. “We have plenty of room here.”
For now, Mission EDC CEO Daniel Silva says their recruitment efforts have yielded a lot of interest, with companies beginning to draft letters of intent (LOIs) to Killam Development. He says of the park’s 175 acres, about 60-70 have already been earmarked in this way.
“What we’re seeing across the state – what we’re seeing on the produce side and on the dry storage – with all the re-shoring that’s taking place, there’s a lot of companies that are looking to locate here,” said Silva. “So, I have confidence that this is going to fill up a whole lot faster than we thought, and it’s going to cause Phase 2 and Phase 3 to get built a whole lot quicker.”
Though the residential and commercial side of the master planned community has been delayed by COVID-19, supply-chain issues, worker shortages and the “astronomical” costs of materials due to inflation, Silva says the vision of a place to “live, work and play” is finally coming into fruition.
“The City of Mission, today, is booming,” said O’Caña. “As we grow together in the next phase, it will undoubtedly lead to even more booming growth for the Mission economy.”
Producing quality journalism is not cheap. The coronavirus has resulted in falling revenues across the newsrooms of the United States. However, The Rio Grande Guardian International News Service is committed to producing quality news reporting on the issues that matter to border residents. The support of our members is vital in ensuring our mission gets fulfilled.
Can we count on your support? If so, click HERE. Thank you!
