LOS INDIOS — Los Indios doesn’t stretch far.
It’s not a big community.
It’s actually one of the smallest communities in the Rio Grande Valley.
But with that smallness comes a desire to be bigger.
Just recently, Los Indios received two substantial grants to help in that development.
The first is a $69,000 grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The funds were awarded via the Harlingen-San Benito Metropolitan Planning Organization, in conjunction with Valley Metro.
Los Indios will put up a $17,400 match, which will come from city taxes.
In total, the $87,400 will result in the construction of 2,400 linear feet of sidewalk and two bus stops for the Valley Metro.
“The improvements will add to the already $120,000 in sidewalk improvements,” said City Administrator Jared Hockema. “It will also help finish the downtown area.”
The project will extend the sidewalks and bus service to the Del Rio neighborhood.
Mayor Ricardo Cavazos said with this, the city is closer to achieving several goals.
“We want to provide our citizens, and especially our children, with a safe route to school, and this project does that,” he said. “We want to make good our commitment to invest in neighborhoods on the north side of town, including Del Rio and Carricitos Trail.”
While that grant works on the sidewalks, the second grant will aid in Los Indios economic development.
A total of $60,000 will go toward two studies for marketing and development.
With this grant, the city plans to hire a planner who will conduct those studies.
Hockema said one study will delve into the marketing of the town to future business.
The study will basically tell them why they should build a business here, he said.
It will also take a look at demographics, population, goods and services.
The second study will consist of an in-depth look at a certain property in Los Indios that city leaders hope to build on.
By attracting business to Los Indios, Hockema said it will create employment opportunities and goods for others.
There are thousands of employees at the nearby factories and no goods and services are there for them, he said.
