HARLINGEN, Texas - While Harlingen Economic Development Corporation is happy with the ten projects it has recently closed - worth 453 jobs created, a $15 million investment - it is laser focused is on what’s to come.
Those ten projects are projected to generate $1.3 million in additional sales tax revenues to the community. But there is so much more on the horizon.
“What we are more excited about are the future efforts and projects that we're working on that will help pave the way for quite a bit of investment here in Harlingen,” said HEDC Executive Director Orlando Campos.
“Right now, we have active projects underway with a capital investment projected at $5.9 billion, with over 2,000 jobs that would come to Harlingen.”
Because of nondisclosure agreements, Campos says he cannot give the name of the companies set to locate operations in Harlingen.
“Obviously we cannot say who they are, but we can talk a little bit about their potential impact here in the community.”
At a Commercialization and Investment Tour event co-hosed by Harlingen EDC and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, which was held at Texas State Technical College-Harlingen, Campos provided some of the details.
“We have one particular project that has already tied down 1,800 acres,” he revealed.
“You may have read the story out of El Paso, a really a large Meta project with a data center. This project (we are working on) would be a little bit bigger than that one.
“We’re working on a larger manufacturing company that will build a one million square foot manufacturing operation, plus a headquarters office location here in Harlingen. This would be a $700 million plus investment in the community and bring in over 700 new jobs, bringing a new type of industry to be a area.”
Campos acknowledged such projects require a lot of power.
“These projects are absorbing a lot of power, and some of the projects that we're working on will add to that capacity. So we've been working very closely with AEP,” Campos said.
“But one of the projects that we're also working on is actually a new power plant that will help satisfy some of these demands. And so this is a 2,500 megawatt power plant that we're working on for the community that will hopefully satisfy the (power) needs, not just Harlingen, but also the entire region.”
Campos revealed where these big projects will go.
“One of the biggest areas of undeveloped industrial property is the area between the Port of Harlingen and Valley International Airport. That is also served by rail. There are over 5,000 acres of undeveloped property out in this area, and some of the big projects that we're working on are looking at establishing here within this area,” including the 1,800 acres that have been tied down for a new data center.”
He continued: “One hundred and thirty acres have already been tied down for the manufacturing facility, and also 100 acres that have already been tied down for a new power line. But there are opportunities that still exist here and land that is still available for other manufacturers that are looking at establishing operations here in the Valley.”
In his remarks, Campos also spoke about HEDC’s new 65-acre industrial park, which is located along Interstate 69E just north of the Bass Pro Shop area.
Here is a video recording of the presentation Campos made at the HEDC/RGVP Commercialization & Investment Tour event:
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