WESLACO, Texas - Right now, Rio Grande LNG is getting close to its peak employment level at the Port of Brownsville, says Gilberto Salinas, president of Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation.
“Those are construction jobs. And you, if you're from Brownsville, you know when not to drive out there, because you'll get caught in that traffic,” Salinas. “And there will be about 2,500 permanent jobs. That's few years down the road.”
And the great news, Salinas said, is that 70 percent of those jobs are local.
“Their definition of local is from Brownsville to McAllen. Seventy percent - that’s Rio Grande LNG,” he said.
Rio Grande LNG is part of NextDecade. The company is building a liquefied natural gas export terminal at the Port of Brownsville.
“They started their first phase almost three years ago. They still have at least another two years to ago. Then they announced that they're adding another $12 billion dollars, on top of their initial $18 billion capital investment, for phase two, in which they're going to be adding an additional three or four trains.”
A train, in the case of LNG is an assembly line of sorts, Salinas said, for the natural gas that is going out there. “And they (the trains) are massive.”
In addition to Rio Grande LNG, another liquefied natural gas export terminal is being built at the port, Salinas explained.
“Texas LNG, a totally separate company, is going to start construction later this year. That’s another $14 billion in capital investment, and they're going to be hiring another 4,000 to 5,000 people. So those jobs are coming, those very good paying jobs are coming.”
Salinas made his remarks in a detailed power-point presentation to economic development leaders from across the Rio Grande Valley. The event was hosted by Hidalgo County and held at UT-Rio Grande Valley’s Center for Innovation and Commercialization.
In addition to LNG, Salinas spoke about SpaceX. Click here to read that story.
He also spoke about housing and workforce development.
On workforce, Salinas said Rio Grande LNG is hiring a lot of workers that grew up in the Valley but left to find work elsewhere.
“They (the workers) are finding out about what's happening, and they're coming back. And the good thing about that, nine times out of ten, they already have a place to stay with family, right until they're able to find something or build something. So that's one trend that we picked up on, and we're helping (address that).”
On workforce, Salinas also said:
“We’ve always prided ourselves that we grow our own talent. And this is one of the youngest regions in the United States. But we’re being put to the test because we're having to add just as many people as possible for all these very good paying jobs. I mean, this is a problem that we wanted. Well, it's here now.”
Salinas said GBEDC has done a deep dive on all the growth that is happening and the group thinks it has started to reverse the so-called "Brain Drain."
"For the first time ever, I think we have reversed our biggest problem, which is Brain Drain. I've always said that the Valley's number one exports was never a particular product. It was always talent. We export so much talent. (But now) for every person that leaves Brownsville three are moving in. We've never seen that, at least in my lifetime. So it's happening in real time and growing. There's just more people coming in."
As for housing, Salinas said he never thought his group would have to pay attention to the subject.
“If you would have said, five years ago, you are going to have to get involved with housing, I would have said, excuse me, that is not what we do. Well, we're here. We're doing housing. And it has become a challenge. It's still affordable and there are still houses out there, but we just can't build them fast enough.”
Salinas said Brownsville has never seen this kind of activity before.
"This is in Brownsville. We've got 27 subdivisions under construction. That's almost 30,000 homes in the next five to six years. And then obviously we have our newest corporate neighbor, which is Starbase City. And this ranking came out at the beginning of the year: Brownsville-McAllen was the No. 10 region in the United States, where most people are moving into. We have never been on that list," Salinas said.
"U-Haul puts out that ranking. They track how many one way U-Hauls are being delivered to a certain area. So now it's Brownsville-McAllen. We're very proud of that. We're seeing it. As a matter of fact, I'm seeing it with traffic, and people are actually starting to complain. You know, McAllen always had a lot of traffic, but now Brownsville is starting to get traffic. So that's an unscientific economic indicator as far as the growth that we're seeing."
Salinas' comments about the need for more housing comes as the City of Brownsville says a housing boom is underway.
According to new data from the city, there has been a significant increase in residential construction permits, a clear sign that Brownsville continues to grow and attract new investment.
"In 2025 alone, the city has issued more than 1,600 residential building permits, making it one of the busiest years for housing development in Brownsville’s history," the City stated.
"City records show 624 permits for multi-family units, 318 for duplexes, and 727 for single-family homes so far this year."
City leaders say these numbers reflect strong confidence in Brownsville’s economy and highlight the growing demand for housing as more people move to the area.
"The rise in multi-family and duplex developments is helping expand affordable and workforce housing, giving more residents the opportunity to live closer to their jobs, schools, and essential services.
"At the same time, the construction of new single-family homes is providing more families with the chance to put down roots and build a future in Brownsville."
City officials say this growth is part of a long-term strategy focused on smart and sustainable development.
"The city continues to invest in infrastructure, utilities, and transportation to keep pace with the growth while ensuring a strong quality of life for residents," the City stated.
"As new homes continue to be built, the housing boom is also creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and strengthening Brownsville’s economy."
With development expected to continue into next year, city leaders say Brownsville is building a future where families, workers, and businesses can all thrive.
