Edinburg2040 Starts Today

EDINBURG2040

STARTS TODAY

By Dr. Kimberly Selber

The year 2040 seems a long way off – 18 years to be exact, a lifetime for some – but Edinburg2040 is about making plans and acting today, for a better Edinburg tomorrow.

Edinburg2040 is the development of a strategic long-range plan for the city largely based on community input. The project will be comprehensive and draw from various categories such as public safety, economic development, and quality of life. One of the people charged with helping make it work is the new mayor of Edinburg.

“The Edinburg 2040 plan,” says Ramiro Garza Jr., who took office in December, “is a process; it isn’t simply a destination. It is about engaging our community in the process of creating short-term, mid-term, and long-term planning based on community input.”

The Edinburg2040 plan will guide the city in prioritizing funds and accomplishing planned goals for growth, public safety, economic development, and quality of life. The City held its first Edinburg2040 Town Hall meeting Feb. 10, with three more scheduled for the end of March. And the group is getting public input in multiple ways, including an online survey and town hall meetings.

“We launched our Edinburg2040 survey in February,” Garza said. “So far, we have already exceeded our survey collection goal by 50%. We are so happy that people are engaged.”

Garza, who previously served as executive director of the Edinburg EDC and then Edinburg city manager, says the project is developing rapidly. And timing has definitely been on the minds of local leaders, including council member and Mayor Pro Tem Johnny Garcia.

“We need to keep moving forward on projects and not start new things before the old ones are complete,” said Garcia, who was elected to the

Edinburg City Council in 2019. “The Edinburg2040 plan will help keep us on track; the next council members will have a blueprint to go by. Our citizens need to keep us on track.”

According to Mayor Garza, the plan is to unveil Edinburg 2040 publicly in May 2022.

GATEWAY TO THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY

Based on the latest figures released from the 2020 U.S. Census, Edinburg is the 12th fastest growing city in the nation among cities with a population of 100,000 or more. And as its status locally grows, leadership is determined to do things well.

“It is possible that Edinburg will be the largest city in Hidalgo County by 2040. We have to get this right,” Garza emphasized. “Edinburg’s growing economy combined with its affordable cost of living, high quality of life, and diverse employment opportunities make it a natural draw for families as well as the ideal choice for entrepreneurs looking to grow their business.”

Edinburg is the county seat for Hidalgo County, has a major university (UTRGV) with more than 30,000 students, a medical school, two hospitals, a professional sports arena and stadium, and an excellent K-12 education system. But, without a focus on quality of life, people will leave, especially young people, Garza said.

“We talk a lot about quality of life, but I like to focus on quality of place,” he said.

SO WHAT DOES QUALITY LOOK LIKE?

Councilmember David White feels the Edinburg2040 plan will “give citizens their true voice,” and emphasized, “we are listening.” Referencing the new Chapin Pond Hike and Bike trail, which officially broke ground on Feb. 23, he noted that the give-and-take approach works.

“It was so obvious people wanted a trail there,” said White, the former Edinburg chief of police who was elected in 2019 to Edinburg City Council. “So, we said, ‘OK, how do you make a trail out of a canal?’ We collaborated and made it happen.”

The focus on growth is important to all of the city’s elected officials, but they are not after just any growth: it has to be of the sustainable, planned variety. “Once we build it, we need to be able to sustain the quality,” councilmember White stated. This is where the Edinburg2040 planning is critical—with long-term funding to sustain projects and services.

Council member Garcia stressed collaboration and listening as goals to strive for, saying, “We all need to work together in all directions for the betterment of our city.”

Mayor Garza agreed, adding that, “we need to understand that we have a very diverse community and what is important to one group might not be as important to another. We have to understand that and work together.”

Newly elected council members Dan Diaz and Jason DeLeon both believe quality of life means that people should be able to get all the services they need, locally.

“Edinburg families should not have to travel to another city to play sports year-round,” council member Diaz stated. “The city council recently met with the Edinburg CISD, for example, to discuss how we might capitalize on existing resources such as utilizing ECISD fields for Parks and Recreation.”

Council member DeLeon suggested that Edinburg needs nightlife, such as more sitdown restaurants and more live music.

“These aspects will encourage young people to stay in Edinburg, to live in Edinburg,” he suggested. “The Edinburg2040 plan will help focus on where our community wants to see us in five, ten, 18 years.”

MCINTYRE PROMENADE ARTS DISTRICT

More live music, you say?

Edinburg’s planned arts district is already coming to life. The new amphitheater and water garden are scheduled to open in late summer 2022. The 40,000-square-foot Arts, Culture, and Events Center (ACE) — a collaborative effort between the City and the EDC — at the former Sam Houston Elementary school site is expected to break ground in late summer.

The ACE Center will be home to Edinburg’s robust cultural arts, bringing additional activities to the downtown area and serving as the foundation of the arts district. Art, dance, music, and creative entrepreneurship

EDINBURG MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS

RAMIRO GARZA JR.

Mayor

‘‘For Edinburg: not just quality of life, but quality of place.

DANIEL “DAN” DIAZ

Councilmember Place 1

‘‘Planning and collaborating with city, school district, county, and university as a catalyst for growth.

JASON DE LEON

Councilmember Place 2

‘‘My hope for Edinburg is that we are known as a city that is working towards progress.

JOHNNY GARCIA

Councilmember Place 3 and Mayor Pro Tem

‘‘My hope for Edinburg is to be a driver for higher education.

DAVID WHITE

Councilmember Place 4 ‘‘Working together for growth, prosperity, and quality of life.

classes, exhibits and educational programming related to the arts are planned for the new ACE center, which will also be the permanent home for the more than 25 cultural events held each year. Edinburg has long been known as the City of Festivals, and in a given year, more than 100,000 people visit events including Fridafest, the Diwali Festival, a Juneteenth Celebration, the Filipino Festival, Dia de los Muertos, the South Texas International Film Festival, and the UFO festival.

Edinburg is more than festivals; she is also known as an Arts Friendly City and recently earned the distinction of Film Friendly City from the Texas Film Commission. Plans are also in the works to win recognition as a designated Music Friendly City, an award given by the Texas Music Office.

The economic impact of these festivals alone is more than $6 million annually. With the addition of the ACE Center’s 700seat capacity conference and event center, the impact will be exponential.