BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects is hosting a mixer in Brownsville on the evening of February 18.
It is titled: “Downtown Brownsville - A Master Plan Revitalization Mixer. It is being held at Boqueron Food & Wine Bar on E. Washington Street, starting at 5:30 p.m.
To learn more about I-LinCOP and the mixer, the RGG Business Journal met up with Oscar Garcia, regional vice president for Broaddus & Associates, and vice president for I-LinCP-RGV, and Doroteo Garcia, Jr., assistant city manager for the City of Brownsville.
I-LinCP is a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings together contractors, architects, and engineers to improve the planning, design, and delivery of capital projects. The group started a chapter in the Rio Grande Valley in early 2025. It held two events in the Valley last year, one in McAllen and one in Weslaco. Now it is working to expand in Brownsville.
“We felt this would be a great opportunity to focus on some of the big projects that are happening in Brownsville, namely the downtown revitalization effort that's going on right now,” Oscar Garcia said.
Brownsville is Oscar Garcia’s hometown. So, he said, it will give him great delight to highlight the city’s attractions.
“It’s a good opportunity for us to show off downtown Brownsville and the changes in the evolution it has undergone. And then, what’s happening now with all the future planning.”
Oscar Garcia said that while it is great to see all the growth happening in Brownsville, it is even better to find that smart growth practices are being implemented by city leaders.
“Organic growth can be chaotic. What we've seen over the last ten years, is a more measured, focused, growth, purposeful growth.” By way of example he cited the walking trails the city has developed.
Doroteo Garcia has been working for the City of Brownsville for the past 23 years. “When we talk about all this potential growth coming, there's a lot of skepticism. Everybody's like, is this really going to happen? But now we're living it. It's here, it's happening. We're living it.”
And so the most salient questions, Doroteo Garcia said are: “How do we prepare? How do we adjust? How do we pivot? What changes do we make?” He said it is important to have a good relationship with groups such as I-LinCP. He said designers, architects, engineers, contractors, and the like need to be aware of the City’s plans.
“In the last three years in the City of Brownsville, we went from not having a capital improvement project for the entire city to now having, for one single year, $215 million allocated for capital improvement projects,” Doroteo Garcia said.
Editor's Note: Here is a video recording of part of the interview the RGG Business Journal secured with Oscar Garcia and Doroteo Garcia:
Editor's Note: Here is an audio recording of the entire interview the RGG Business Journal secured with Oscar Garcia and Doroteo Garcia:
