HARLINGEN — City Commissioner Michael Mezmar stands in opposition to a plan to borrow money to turn Lon C. Hill Park into a regional attraction.
Last night, Mezmar cast the lone vote against approving the publication of a notice of intent to issue $3.8 million in certificates of obligation to help fund the $6.5 million first phase of the project to turn the park into a so-called destination park.
Commissioners voted to publish the notice as a first step in the process to borrow the money.
“I have difficulty with this. I don’t like borrowing money,” Mezmar said in the meeting. “I don’t like borrowing money for parks. I don’t like to take on debt to improve parks.”
As part of the city’s plan, the Harlingen Community Improvement Board, whose sales tax revenue is earmarked to fund quality of life projects, would provide $2.7 million.
Mayor Chris Boswell said the Community Improvement Board will consider the project when it meets June 23.
“We haven’t made any decision about this park project yet,” Boswell said. “Some of the details are still up in the air. If we decide to borrow some money, we could take advantage of an interest rate we like.”
If commissioners decide to go ahead with the project, the city would sell the bonds July 19, said Anne Burger Entrekin, the city’s financial advisor with First Southwest Co. in San Antonio.
Interest rates remain relatively low, she said in an interview.
“We’ve seen a little volatility but we’re still in a relatively low interest rate environment,” Burger Entrekin said outside the meeting.
The project to develop the destination park ranks among the top five priorities in the city’s new 10-year master plan.
Officials plan to draw visitors from across the region to the destination park on Fair Park Boulevard.
The project’s first phase would feature an amphitheater, an adaptive baseball field, a skate park, courtyard, pavilions, playground and walking trail, Serna said earlier this week.
As part of the project, the city is building a $400,000 “all-inclusive playground” focusing on special needs children.
The Harlingen school district is funding $200,000 of the project planned as the site for field trips.
Serna said the project to develop a destination park could include two or three phases.
The city’s 10-year plan calls for a $12.9 million destination park featuring an amphitheater, adaptive baseball field, athletic courts, a retractable roof over Harlingen Field and other attractions.
Officials have discussed plans to turn Harlingen Field — the longtime home of the defunct Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings — into a large concert venue.
Other attractions could include a children’s museum doubling as a venue exhibiting local artists’ works.
