Western Hidalgo County has seen a number of investments that are contributing to the growth of the area.
On Aug. 3, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, announced $1,275,000 in federal funds for the construction of a new fire station in La Joya.
According to a news release from the congressman’s office, the current fire station, which is nearly 30-years-old, does not meet standard building code requirements.
“The new La Joya Fire Station will provide our firefighters with the tools they require to better serve our community,” Cuellar said in the release. “The station will also meet all building requirements to guarantee the safety of our firefighters. This will result in a more efficient service and faster response times for the city of La Joya.”
The federal funds will cover 75% of the total cost for the new fire station, which is estimated to be $1,700,000. Construction will take approximately 12 months to complete.
“The funding allocated for the new fire station is much needed for our community and the areas our fire department respond to because we will now have a secured building that will be able to house the proper equipment need (sic) to fight fires, provide medical attention and respond to vehicle accidents,” La Joya Fire Chief Frankie Joe Salinas said in the release.
The fire and police department will also be able to use a training room to conduct classroom and hands-on training, according to the release, which stated that the current facility is not reliable and doesn’t have the proper conditions for storing equipment while also lacking proper security measures to keep personnel safe.
That same day, Cuellar announced a $3,539,318 federal earmark for the city of Sullivan’s El Faro Road Flood Mitigation Project.
According to a separate news release, the project will assist with upgrades to El Faro Road and the drainage infrastructure. The funding will provide assistance to areas in the community that are prone to heavy flooding as well as restore damaged infrastructure.
“El Faro Road is one of the main arteries in Sullivan City. Not only is the road vital for commercial use, it is also heavily transited by families and school buses,” Cuellar said. “This federal earmark will help address the hazardous and deteriorating condition of the road to provide the residents of Sullivan City with a safe, reliable thoroughfare. I am proud to have championed-and delivered- this investment that will help ensure the safety of my constituents.”
The project will provide funding for upgrades to the roadway and drainage system along the El Faro Road corridor and adjacent connectors which will address higher year rainfall events and reduce flooding.
The road will also be widened from a narrow two-lane roadway to include an additional lane for left turns. Lastly, the funding will support the addition of a 1.4 miles hike/bike trail.
On Aug. 4, Hidalgo County Precinct 3 Commissioner Everardo “Ever” Villarreal and the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1, along with city officials from Peñitas and the business community, broke ground on the first phase of what is anticipated to be a $50 million commercial development in Peñitas.
The county and the city of Peñitas have been working with St. Ives Realty LLC for two years on the Liberty Village commercial development.
The development will be located at the corner of Liberty Boulevard and U.S. Highway 83. The first phase will consist of four pads for commercial development on 10 acres. Construction will begin on a retail center, which will include a hotel and several restaurants, once utilities and other infrastructure are delivered.
“The current planned Phase I users include 7 Eleven/Stripes, Chick Fil A, Wendy’s and one additional national tenant that will be named in the near future,” Jim Gissler, with St. Ives Realty, said in a news release.
“The promise of commerce and as many as 250 jobs is exciting news for the Peñitas area and Hidalgo County is happy to help facilitate this venture,” Villarreal added.
