A master-planned development that includes retail, industrial and residential components is being forged in the city of La Joya, Mayor Isidro Casanova has confirmed.
In an exclusive interview with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service, Casanova said city leaders and planners are in discussions with two local landowners. The development could cover more than 100 acres and bring 900 new homes to the city.
According to the 2020 Census, La Joya’s population is 4,321 but Casanova believes there was a sizable undercount.
“We have been meeting with some of our local developers, land owners. Two in particular that have a total of a little over a thousand acres. They have come to the table and asked about developing the land. The land has been used for agriculture for many, many years,” Casanova said.
“We are sitting at the table, talking about it and throwing some ideas around. We are moving forward pretty aggressively with the project. We just want to make sure we are ready and prepared for the development when it comes. We are meeting at least three or four times a month.”
Casanova participated in a news conference with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar last week to announce a new fire station, funded largely by the federal government. Casanova said the exact location for the new fire station has yet to be decided upon and the decision could be influenced by the new master-planned development.
“We have got to decide where we are going to build the fire station because most of the growth from now on is going to be up north,” Casanova said.
Casanova said the new La Joya bypass, currently being constructed by Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority, is impacting potential development.
“The landowners I am talking about, those are the ones that live there (next to where the bypass is being built) and they have that property. They are the ones that want to develop in that area, because of the overpass. That are is really going to grow.”
Asked what the new master-planned community will include, Casanova said: “A combination. There is an interest in retail and industrial. They are waiting for the infrastructure to be added and then we will take it from there.”
Asked how many residential homes will be built, Casanova said: “Once we get the thing off the ground we are looking at… we have a project right now with a developer and he is looking at having about 900 homes. It is a huge project. It will make a big difference to La Joya.”
And why La Joya? Casanova responded: “Over there in the central areas, the bigger areas (McAllen-Edinburg-Mission-Pharr) there is nowhere else to grow. So a lot of people are starting to look at the west side.”
Asked when the master-master-planned project will be complete, Casanova said: “Hopefully within the next two years. We are moving fast. They are already talking about promoting the development of it.”
One supporter of the development is Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez. He also attended the La Joya news conference with Casanova and Cuellar. In his remarks, Cortez said La Joya is “growing fast” and that “this is just the beginning.”
Asked to elaborate on those remarks, Cortez told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service: “The mayor and the commissioners here have a dream and a plan on how to develop La Joya. I think they are going to add science to their approach to developing La Joya. I have told them many times that success follows failure, sometimes, but you have got to have a plan. And when you sit down and look at your city, you ask yourself, what’s missing and where do I want to put it. What kind of infrastructure do I need? What roads? What zoning do I need. And I see that city doing that now. So, I see good things happening.”
Cortez said that La Joya, along with other cities in the western half of Hidalgo County, are growing fast.
"We are putting in a lot of subdivisions outside municipalities. I would like to see the state legislature change its mind about annexation. The county is not equipped to service that many residential areas. We only have one source of revenue. Cities have multiple sources of revenue and I think they are better suited to helping those people (that want new homes). I hope the legislature pays attention to the needs of our growing communities. I want to thank the La Joya leadership for being proactive in trying to solve the problems we have.”
Cortez said Hidalgo County would continue to seek funding for infrastructure projects.
“We cannot do it with local funds. We need help from the feds and we need help from the state,” he said.
Asked if it would help if the State of Texas allowed cities to annex land more easily, like they used to be able to, Cortez said: Absolutely. We (Hidalgo County) do not have ordinance-making powers, like the municipalities have. So, how can we orderly growth in our areas when we cannot dictate certain things. We can dictate the development of a subdivision but we cannot dictate the governance of individuals once they are there."
Cortez added: “The county is putting in about a thousand new sub-divided lots in the rural areas. For me, it is going to become difficult for us to serve that many people in the rural areas with the infrastructure that is needed. I think municipalities are better suited.”
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