Edinburg-based DHR Health’s project to expand into Brownsville has been granted enterprise zone designation by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism at the request of the city of Brownsville, which submitted the application on behalf of DHR earlier this year.
That means DHR, which has a number of locations around the Rio Grande Valley, is eligible to apply for state sales- and use-tax refunds on expenditures related to the Brownsville project. To qualify for the tax abatements, companies must meet minimum capital investment thresholds and create or retain jobs for a certain percentage of economically disadvantaged residents, residents within the enterprise zone, and/or veterans.
The Texas Enterprise Zone Program was created by the Texas Enterprise Act, which the Legislature passed in 1983 to encourage private investment and job creation in economically distressed areas of the state.
DHR plans to open a Level 1 trauma facility in the 74,000-square-foot former Brownsville Doctors Hospital at 4750 N. Expressway that will feature 40 single-occupancy medical/surgery beds and 60 double-occupancy medical/surgery beds serving the Brownsville region and Cameron County.
Plans also call for three ICU beds, an emergency room, six operating rooms, and state-of-the-art lab and imaging equipment. The Brownsville location will offer specialty care including urology, bariatrics, gynecologic oncology, general surgery, plastic surgery, pediatric dentistry, gastroenterology, colorectal surgery and neurosurgery. Construction is underway at the site.
DHR said it will create more than 300 jobs in Brownsville and is putting $36.6 million in capital investment into the project. Similar to Brownsville’s nomination of DHR for enterprise-zone status, the city of Edinburg in 2020 agreed to nominate the company’s proposed $76.8 million hospital expansion in that city for enterprise-zone status.
“The Brownsville community will benefit from DHR’s Health specialized services, and we are looking forward to being able to provide healthcare access for the community at a large scale,” said Aida Coronado Garcia, DHR Brownsville’s chief operating officer.
Brownsville Mayor Trey Mendez said the city is grateful for the partnership with DHR “as we work towards building a healthier future for this region.”
“This project will not only impact our area’s health but will be a great movement towards developing our workforce,” he said.
Brownsville Deputy City Manager Helen Ramirez said the addition of DHR and its many specialties to the city’s healthcare landscape gives people more choice.
“It adds value to our healthcare industry and health and wellness here in the city and greater Brownsville area,” she said. “I think it’s important to note they’re serving the region.”
It’s also good news that a long-vacant building of substantial square footage is being put back into commission and will again generate property tax revenue, Ramirez said.
“After a while if they’re not revitalized they become dilapidated,” she said.
Ramirez said she thinks DHR is interested in filling all 300-plus positions right away and that the company is conducting an aggressive hiring push.
“They participated in both our Careers and Coffees events hosted by the city (in June and November) and I know they’re actively interviewing for different positions now,” she said.
DHR is interviewing job applicants from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Starbucks at 4247 N. Expressway 77. Applicants can also go to dhrhealth.com/careers.
Marcy Martinez, DHR’s director of public relations and corporate communications, said the company has kept mum about the anticipated opening date of the Brownsville location and wants to make a big splash with the grand opening, but that the new hospital should begin taking patients in February.
