HARLINGEN — The total cost of the convention center has climbed to $16.7 million.
Today, city commissioners and members of the Harlingen Community Improvement Board approved $1.75 million in additional features.
As part of the city’s revised plans, the building expanded from 43,700 square feet to 44,436 square feet.
The additions and related expenses come along with a pending $2.7 million land purchase.
Commissioners will fund the additional expenses with $1.2 million from the Community Improvement Board’s sales tax revenue; $850,000 from hotel occupancy tax revenue; and $100,000 from the city’s Community Development Block Grant program.
The city expects to close the sale of eight acres with land owner Ezequiel Reyna by early next week, City Manager Dan Serna said.
“We’re at a point where I feel we’re ready to go forward with construction,” he said.
A groundbreaking ceremony is set for Aug. 4.
As they prepare for construction, officials earmarked $300,000 for fill dirt to raise the site about five feet.
At yesterday’s meeting, Commissioner Tudor Uhlhorn said the project’s additions “will make it a more useful building.”
