LAGUNA VISTA — After years of planning, gathering funds and designing, this interactive and educational ecotourism hub is almost complete.
Officials say the South Texas Eco-Tourism Center (STEC) in Laguna Vista will be completed by the end of this summer.
As work on the STEC is nearing completion, a local school district was able to be the first ones to get a sneak preview of the site.
On Thursday, a total of 20 Port Isabel High School students were given a tour of the facility by Cameron County Commissioner David A. Garza, as well as representatives and personnel of Noble Texas Builders, Texas A&M University McAllen and Megamorphosis.
According to Noble Texas Builders officials, the STEC will be a place for community events and will be home to a magnificent area designated to highlight local landscapes.
The center will include multi-purpose rooms with interpretive exhibits, a rain catchment and grey water harvesting system, passive lighting and cooling systems, an amphitheater, pond and wetland enhancements.
Additional amenities will include — parking, pedestrian trails, a boardwalk, an observation deck, native landscaping, interactive exhibits, bird blinds and site amenities, a play area and picnic facilities.
Port Isabel High School Principal Imelda Munivez said before taking the tour, she wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I knew that this building was being developed, but didn’t know a whole lot about it,” she said. “I think our students are in awe at what we have in our backyard.”
Munivez said it was exciting to be able to visit the center and have the students learn more about the diverse professions that are involved with creating this project.
“I can’t wait to see the finished product,” she said. “A lot of the kids were excited to see what it’s going to look like this summer and had some amazing questions.”
Port Isabel High School senior Juliann Hernandez said she felt privileged to be one of the first ones to see the center.
“It’s very nice to see, especially high schoolers, who don’t know what to do, it helps us open our eyes and see what we actually have here in Laguna Vista and what can actually happen,” she said. “It’s not even finished, but it’s very beautiful.”
Project history
Construction of the STEC began in June of 2020.
According to Garza, funding of the project is not provided by taxpayer money.
He explained that there are no local taxpayer dollars associated with this project because the money that is funding the project is money that is paid for by visitors of the area either through a hotel tax or a car rental tax.
On Election Day in 2016, voters approved the 2-percent tax increase proposed by Cameron County.
The county visitor tax went into effect starting January 2017.
In addition to funds collected through the visitor tax, the project has received grants.
In March of 2019, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded the project a $1.25 million grant.
In August of 2019, the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded a $700,000 grant and Cameron County matched the grant with $300,000.
For more information about the STEC, visit www.stec-lv.org.
