BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS SPACE
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A PRIME RETAIL DESTINATION
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BRoWNSVIllE, TEXAS
rownsville’s future is looking brighter than ever as our community is in the midst of exciting times. A new realm of economic opportunities abound in our region and they are attributed to three main driving factors: Space, Sun, and Location. When added together, these three factors make...
A PRIME RETAIl DESTINATIoN
SPACE
BROWNSVILLE YOUR PRIME DESTINATION. DEMoGRAPHICS
200,000
Population in Brownsville
1.2 MILLION
Population in Brownsville Borderplex
400,000
Population in Brownsville MSA
143,000 Number of households in MSA
MORE THAN 8 MILLION
People in 200-mile radius (Texas and Northern Mexico)
29 YEARS
$34,374
11th Household Income
Median Age
youNGEST CITy IN THE uNITED STATES
MARKET CATCHMENT AREA
1.3 MILLION
Texas shoppers in Rio Grande Valley (Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy and Starr counties)
10 MILLION
Mexican shoppers from Northern Mexico (Monterrey, Saltillo, Matamoros, Reynosa, Ciudad Victoria, Tampico-Madero)
SAFEST
BRoWNSVIllE MSA:
METRO IN
TEXAS
With the coming of SpaceX, the region will see a new realm of economic opportunities, including the retail, entertainment and service industries.
15,000 X 12
VISIToRS PER lAuNCH
This will be the first ever commercial rocket launch site in the world.
lAuNCHES A yEAR
180,000
VISIToRS To BRoWNSVIllE To VIEW THE lAuNCHES
$51 MILLION AMouNT SPACEX WIll INFuSE ANNuAlly IN DIRECT WAGES FoR loCAl RESIDENTS
This new Texas launch site is described by Elon Musk as the “commercial Cape Canaveral”
1
No. 1 Market for
quick-service restaurant expansion
9
No. 9 Job Growth
on Forbes list of Best Places for Business and Careers
Brownsville Economic Development Council 301 Mexico Blvd Suite F-1, Brownsville, Texas, 78520
Visit us: www.BEDC.com
All-AMERICA CITy
Brownsville is one of 10 cities in the U.S. and the only city in Texas that was a recipient of the All-America City award for 2014. This award given by the National Civic League recognizes communities for successfully addressing pressing challenges such as housing, government innovation, job development, educational improvement and neighborhood revitalization.
Recognized as one of the Best Beaches in the United States
4.4 MILLION
LOCATION
$1.1 BILLION ToTAl ANNuAl SPENDING By MEXICAN NATIoNAlS IN THE RIo GRANDE VAllEy
VISIT THE BRoWNSVIllE / SouTH PADRE ISlAND AREA ANNuAlly
South Padre Island is the second most visited tourist destination in Texas
More than 50% of the condominiums at SPI are owned by affluent Mexican families
Brownsville is the closest city (20 minutes) to South Padre Island
Mexican shoppers account for a significant percentage of retail sales in the Brownsville MSA
29%
GRoWTH oF SPENDING By MEXICAN NATIoNAlS IN THE RIo GRANDE VAllEy
Mexican vacationers No. 1 “wish” from South Padre Island … a major shopping venue
SUN
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No. 17 WalletHub’s list of
No. 22 WalletHub’s list of
No. 26 NerdWallet’s
Most RecessionRecovered Cities in the U.S.
Best Cities to Start a Business in the U.S.
Cities on the Rise out of 126 cities in Texas
p.956.541.1183 / 800.552.5352 email: alozano@bedc.com
BROWNSVILLE: A PRIME RETAIL
DESTINATION
BRoWNSVIllE, TEXAS DEMoGRAPHICS
200,000
Population in Brownsville
1.2 MILLION
Population in Brownsville Borderplex
NoRTH RETAIl DISTRICT
400,000
Population in Brownsville MSA
143,000 Number of households in MSA
MORE THAN 8 MILLION
People in 200-mile radius (Texas and Northern Mexico)
29 YEARS
$34,374
11th Household Income
Median Age
youNGEST CITy IN THE uNITED STATES
MARKET CATCHMENT AREA
1.3 MILLION
Texas shoppers in Rio Grande Valley (Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy and Starr counties)
MORE THAN 10 MILLION Mexican shoppers from Northern Mexico (Monterrey, Saltillo, Matamoros, Reynosa, Ciudad Victoria, Tampico-Madero)
$1.1 BILLION
Total annual spending by Mexican Nationals in the Rio Grande Valley
TouRISM
4.4 MILLION
Tourists visit Brownsville/ South Padre Island area annually
2ND MOST
Visited destination in Texas
15,000
Tourists expected to visit Brownsville monthly for SpaceX launches
Visit us: www.BEDC.com
Brownsville Economic Development Council 301 Mexico Blvd Suite F-1, Brownsville, Texas, 78520
p.956.541.1183 / 800.552.5352 email: alozano@bedc.com
Building appeal
BRoWNSVIllE, TEXAS
A PRIME RETAIl DESTINATIoN
Remodeling, expansion to begin at Sunrise Mall
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Steve Clark The Brownsville Herald
onstruction on a new Dick’s Sporting Goods at Sunrise Mall is already underway and a planned multi-million-dollar interior mall makeover is slated to begin next month. Cesar Briseño, Sunrise Mall general manager, said the necessary permits have been issuedandinteriorwork is tentatively scheduled to begin April 6. The makeover will include new paint, flooring and tile, upgraded lighting, improved restrooms with new amenities, and new planters and benches throughout the common areas. Construction on the 50,000-squarefoot Dick’s began about a week and a half ago, Briseño said. The sporting goods retailer willbelocatedbetween Bealls and Sears on the mall’s east side. The contractor on the interior remodeling is EMJ Construction of Chattanooga, Tenn., the cityalsohometoSunrise Mall owner CBL & Associates Properties Inc. The architect is OMNIPLAN out of Dallas,whereCBLhasa regional office. CBL said it “continually reinvests in its portfolio of dominant regional malls, enhancing their appeal to both retailers and shoppers.” Briseño acknowledged that conducting a major renovation while keeping the mall open will be a challenge but said he’s eager for work to start all the same. Sunrise Mall opened in 1979 and encompasses more than 740,000 square feet. Its anchor stores includeDillards,JCPenney and Sears. The property also features a 16-screen Cinemark movie theater and more than 100 specialty shops, restaurants and other businesses. The 75-acre mall complex includes Sunrise Commons, which features Old Navy, Pier 1 Imports, Staples and other
national retailers. The last renovation/ expansion of Sunrise Mall took place in 1999, Briseño said. “I think it’s just an exciting project,” he said. “We’re waiting for it to get started. I think our customers are going to be excited to see it go up. What we’re looking for is to update all of our amenities, and I think this is going to be important for us to do that.” CBL, one of the nation’s largest mall developers, holds interest in or manages 152 properties around the country, including 91 regional malls/open-air centers, in 29 states. In Texas, in addition to Brownsville, the company owns properties in Beaumont, College Station, Laredo, Pearland and Waco. The company said it plans a “grand celebration” for shoppers when work is complete on Sunrise Mall. Briseño said the plan is for both the interior remodeling and Dick’s to be finished before the holiday shopping season kicks off. “The target is October to have (the renovation) wrapped up,” he said. “We’re looking at Dick’s being done about that time as well. It would be great to have everything done between Oct. 15 and Nov 15.”
BRoWNSVIllE, TEXAS
A PRIME RETAIl DESTINATIoN
Pro business
Brownsville recognized by WalletHub.com as one of the Best Cities to Start a Business Staff Report
Looking for a place to start a business? Well, look no further because Brownsville is your place. The city was recently named one of “2015 Best Cities to Start a Business” by WalletHub.com. The consumer finance site ranked Brownsville number 22 out of the top 150 largest cities in the United States. It also ranked Brownsville number 5 in the Lowest Cost of Living category. Uniquely positioned as a hub for international trade in the global marketplace, Brownsville has often been recognized among the best pro-business climates in the United States. Forbes Magazine projects the area to have the fastest job growth through 2015 in the U.S. as well as in the
state. Brownsville ranked on top of several cities in Texas such as Fort Worth, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Plano. Nationwide, Brownsville beat cities like Sacramento, CA, Orlando, FL, Tucson, AZ, Seattle, WA, Providence, RI, Miami, FL, Chicago, IL, Tampa, FL, among others. “In order to help aspiring entrepreneurs – from restaurant owners to high-tech movers and shakers – maximize their chances for long-term prosperity, WalletHub analyzed the relative start-up opportunities that exist in the 150 largest cities in the United States in terms of population.” According to the site, WalletHub used 14 unique metrics to gauge the relative entrepreneurial opportunities that exist in the 150 largest U.S. cities, based on population. These metrics together encapsulate a city’s overall business friendliness by considering the level of overhead involved with opening a business there as well as the level of local business competition, the depth of the talent pool, and the cost of living.
Brownsville expands its business recruitment team
BROWNSVILLE, Texas — The Brownsville Economic Development Council recently expanded its team, devoting a position for the recruitment of companies in the commercial and retail sectors as well as heavy industry. Ana Lozano, the newest member of the team, is the Director of Business Recruitment and Retail Development. She will focus on two economic development fronts. First is to enhance the supplychain-logistics of the existing heavy industry in the Brownsville region as well as the recruitment of major heavy manufacturers, such as major steel operations and manufacturers. The other front is in the recruitment of companies in the retail sector to add to the city’s bustling commercial activity. The city is experiencing a resurgence in commercial activity since the economic downturn, much of which is private investment from national and international firms. Last year’s announcement of a rocket launch site and command center by SpaceX has brought much attention to the area, especially among retail developers. The proposed space site will attract about 15,000 visitors per planned rocket launch. Proactive business activity has recently earned Brownsville such ranking as the No. 1 Fastest Growing MSA for Potential Student Population, No. 22 Best Cities to Start a Business, No. 9 in Job Growth for Business and Careers, No. 17 on Most Recession-Recovered Cities and No. 26 Cities on the Rise in Texas, according to such magazines as Site Selection, WalletHub, NerdWallet and Forbes.
A PRIME RETAIl DESTINATIoN Brownsville, Texas