Morning, everybody. The corner right behind us is the intersection of three cities, and to see the mayors from three cities, four cities that I saw here today really speaks to what the magnitude of this partnership means. And so to the leadership of the cities in Edinburg and Pharr and McAllen, thank you for consistently stepping up and supporting projects and allowing your management teams to engage in partnerships like this. It is transforming our region.
This is exciting. It is an exciting day for the City of McAllen. I know it is an exciting day for DHR Health, the whole Rio Grande Valley. And to our new friends from the University of Houston, welcome to McAllen. Your words convince me that we are going to be great friends. So, welcome.
I know Mayor VillaLobos was here. I don't see him right now, but to Mayor Villalobos and my City Commission, thank you for your vision and allowing your management team to engage in projects like the one we celebrate today. Making leaps in advancing McAllen and creating opportunities don't happen by accident. They happen with intent, and thank you all for letting us do that.
I also want to thank the University of Houston and DHR Health's leadership teams for their efforts in putting this partnership together. These projects are not easy to do, we know that. And so for the work, the effort you put into making this region better, thank you all so much. We know that this Education and Research Center represents more than just a construction project. You've heard that three or four times now this morning. It is a catalyst for innovation, opportunity and long-term economic growth. It expands access to high quality health care, brings advanced life saving services closer to home, so people don't have to leave this region to receive the care they need.
I'm flying out Saturday morning to pick a friend of mine up who had to leave the region to get health care and bring him home on Saturday. So the changes you're making are going to save me from buying airplane tickets in the future.
Through this project, we are strengthening our commitment to building a local pipeline of professional talent, expanding physician training and healthcare education programs right here in our region, addressing workforce needs and creating lasting opportunities for generations to come. Having students from McAllen ISD here, I hope one day you look back at this and say, wow, I was part of something amazing.
The impact goes even further. When young people grow up in a community with world class medical facilities, with researchers living as their neighbors, they realize what their potential can be. And this is just one more step in developing the next generation. So again, thank you for that.
The economic impact that will be created by this center is going to be significant. It's going to create high-paying jobs, critical care, administration. It will generate a ripple effect across local businesses, expand the tax base in so many communities and support continued growth throughout the region.
Friends, for more than 25 years, the City of McAllen and DHR Health have worked together to drive innovation in healthcare and economic development. With the support of McAllen, since 2016 DHR Health has invested more than $80 million in this McAllen South Campus, creating hundreds of jobs and laying the foundation for the growth we are celebrating today. Now with DHR Health and the University of Houston and their research and development center calling this base home, that impact will accelerate.
The Institute is leading clinical is leading critical research focused on diseases that disproportionately affect our region. What more important health care and access can we bring here than a system like this? Your leadership has positioned the Institute as one of the largest clinical research enterprises in South Texas, partnering with major pharmaceutical companies and delivering real economic returns. Every dollar invested generates $10 to $30 back to this community. We recognize that.
Expanded clinical trials, gene sequencing and advanced research capabilities will further establish this area as a hub for bioscience innovations, attract more funding and private investment and opportunities for new partnerships.
To our delegation at the state level, you've been thanked before. I have to thank you again. You deliver time and time again for our corner of the world, and we appreciate it.
Friends, what truly sets McAllen apart is the quality of life we provide. Our momentum allows us to maintain one of the lowest property tax rates in the region, while continuing to invest in infrastructure, public safety and essential services like this one. It is also why McAllen has been recognized by US News and World Report as one of the best places to live in the United States, reflecting our affordability, opportunity and our strong sense of community.
I've said it three times now this week, but it is that community that will build places like this. So again, we are grateful to our partners at DHR Health, who recognize the impact of opportunities and we share your vision. Your support strengthens investments in technology and care that expands access, drives innovation and improves outcome. This Center alone is expected to create up to 200 direct jobs and friends, find an economist just down the road, they will tell you the impact is far greater than that.
The City of McAllen is moving forward with purpose and vision. We are a city where partnerships lead to progress a city where every person plays a role in shaping the future of healthcare, education and opportunity. Friends, in McAllen, Next is Now.
Editor's Note: The above remarks were delivered by McAllen City Manager Isaac Tawil at a groundbreaking ceremony for a Medical Research and Education Center being developed jointly by DHR Health and the University of Houston.
