With just a handful of days left until the Nov. 2 constitutional amendment election, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. made a final pitch for the Cameron County Venue Project during a recent Brownsville Chamber of Commerce virtual presentation.
Proposition A on the ballot asks voters whether existing venue-tax revenue generated by the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) and vehicle rentals should be used to help finance construction of a $100 million, 10,000-seat, multi-use arena to be part of Madeira, a master-planned residential/commercial development to be built on 1,330 acres at the intersection of I-69E and S.H. 100.
The developer, Madeira Development LLC, is also planning a full-service hotel, which would likely spur restaurants, bars and other businesses, Trevino said, adding that the arena would be the keystone of the larger development.
“This could potentially be one of the nicest places to live in and work in the entire Valley,” he said. “At least that’s the hope and expectation.”
Trevino said the venue tax would pay for about a third of the arena project. The remaining two thirds would be paid for through a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone created by the city of Brownsville and the county for the Madeira project, plus grants the county is in the process of applying for, he said. Private investment could cover some of the cost, Trevino said, adding that Madeira Development has committed about $32 million for the infrastructure necessary to support the arena.
In 2016 county voters approved using HOT/vehicle rental revenue to build the Cameron County Amphitheater and Event Center on South Padre Island, which opened two years ago, and the South Texas Ecotourism Center nearing completion in Laguna Vista. Now Trevino is asking voters to “do it again” for a facility he said will benefit the entire Rio Grande Valley while imposing no additional tax burden on county residents, since the revenue already exists. None of the venue tax revenue would be used for the Madeira development itself, he said.
The county currently receives about $1.7 million annually in venue tax revenue — 68 percent from hotels and motels and 32 percent from vehicle rentals. South Padre Island generates 48 percent, Brownsville 25 percent and Harlingen 20 percent. The remainder is generated by the county’s smaller communities.
A feasibility study that looked at similar facilities in Texas and five other states determined that the county venue project is indeed viable, Trevino said. The arena would host concerts and other entertainment, sporting events, community events such as graduation ceremonies, hunting and fishing expos, children’s events and so on, he said.
“The community events are something that’s very, very important,” Trevino said. “We want to make sure that there are certain dates set aside so that all the communities of the county, small and large, are able to take advantage of it.”
He said the county has had preliminary conversations with interested professional sporting organizations as well as Los Fresnos Rodeo organizers about using the facility. The county has already begun preparing for traffic studies to maximize ease of access to and from the new arena, Trevino said. The most optimistic time frame for completion is two or three years, though three to five years is probably a more realistic estimate, he said.
“I’d like to have this done as soon as possible but it’s going to take a little bit of time and work.” Trevino said. “We want to make sure that we do it right. … It’ll be a focal point and something that’s long overdue.”
Proposition A addressing the arena project does not appear with the state constitutional amendment propositions, so it’s important that voters examine the ballot thoroughly, he said.
“The Cameron County Venue Project is on the back of the ballot so you need to make sure that you turn it over,” Trevino said.
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