HARLINGEN — For decades, leaders here have dreamed of the area’s boom.
It’s booming now.
“It’s really unprecedented,” Mayor Chris Boswell said.
After a decade of speedy growth, officials are bracing for a construction boom next year as a steady flow of new residents helps drive the city’s development.
At City Hall, officials are working with developers planning to open four subdivisions with more than 400 lots, City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez said.
“There’s going to be a lot of construction going on here,” he said.
Across the city’s expanding medical complex, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s new School of Medicine and Institute of Neuroscience along with twin Veterans Administration clinics are drawing more new residents taking higher-paying jobs.
Meanwhile, Taskus, an expanding global business services company, has opened 1,000 jobs here.
“I’m very excited about what’s happening here,” Boswell said. “We have a lot of businesses and institutions that are growing.”
In Brownsville, SpaceX’s expansion has opened about 2,500 jobs, driving new residents into town.
“There are a lot of SpaceX people coming down to the Valley — a lot of them,” said Gonzalez, whose next-door neighbor works as the aerospace company’s security chief.
Fast track
During the last decade, Harlingen’s growth soared by nearly 11 percent, with the city’s total population climbing from 65,074 to 71,829.
Now, the city appears on track to keep up the pace.
“Harlingen is a leader in growth in Cameron County,” Boswell said. “The population growth is contributing to the need for additional housing.”
The area’s growth is driving a record housing market.
“A lot of people are moving to the Valley,” real estate broker Lolly Burns said. “I think SpaceX is causing a lot of growth in Cameron County. Our medical community is growing by leaps and bounds and, no doubt, that’s driving in a lot of growth.”
Now, developers are planning three new subdivisions in the Treasure Hills area while the city’s west side continues to grow.
“It’s like they’re hitting all at the same time,” Boswell said.
Record housing market
From 2019 to 2020, housing starts jumped from 198 to 262, with their total construction value climbing from $24.9 million to $34.4 million, the city’s construction reports show.
Then from October 2020 through September, developers broke ground on 256 new homes with a total construction value of $38.8 million.
Around town, subdivisions are springing up in Primera and La Feria, Burns said.
During the last year, home prices have jumped about $20,000 amid the hottest real estate market in the area’s history.
Driven by low interest rates, new residents are buying and building homes across town.
“We have a really low inventory because as soon as a new listing hits the market, there are usually multiple offers on it,” Burns said. “It’s very common for properties to sell higher than their list price. That’s something we’ve never seen in previous years. I’ve been in the business for 30 years and that’s the first time I’ve seen it in our market. Maybe it’s our time.”
