BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Brownsville-based real estate development firm Origo Works has announced the addition of Dr. Murad Abusalim as its new director of design.
Abusalim has over 25 years of experience in architecture, urban planning, and sustainable community development.
As director of design, Abusalim will lead Origo Works’ design initiatives, focusing on creating sustainable, community-centric developments that enrich the Rio Grande Valley and beyond, according to an Origo press release.
“His expertise will be invaluable in driving the company’s mission forward and fostering community engagement through meaningful, impactful design.”
Paul Serafy, managing director of Origo, said Abusalim brings a wealth of expertise to the company. He pointed out that Abusalim’s career includes “notable leadership roles” at Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas Brownsville. In these roles, he said, Abusalim launched successful academic and technical programs.
Serafy said Abusalim focuses on developing sustainable housing and community planning, both domestically and internationally, and that his work emphasizes mixed-use developments and sustainable housing solutions.
“We welcome Dr. Abusalim to the Origo Works team. He has extensive experience creating sustainable designs and plans for cities and is committed to improving communities. This aligns with our goal to continue making positive, long-term impacts in our communities through real estate,” Serafy said.
“Having someone of his caliber will elevate our projects and expand our capacity to create vibrant spaces for the communities we serve.”
The Origo Works news release said Abusalim’s design philosophy emphasizes sustainability and careful planning, considering societal and environmental impacts in every project. The release said he co-designed the first LEED Silver home south of San Antonio and featured in a 2013 TEDx Brownsville event.
“His work is highly regarded in the architectural community, and he demonstrates his passion for community engagement through his ongoing service on various boards and committees, including the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation and the Brownsville Wellness Coalition,” the news release states.
Abusalim holds a Ph.D. in Land-Use Planning and Management Design and a Master of Science in Architecture from Texas Tech University. He also earned a Bachelor of Architecture from Near East University in Turkey.
About Murad Abusalim
Dr. Murad Abusalim has a wealth of professional experience spanning over 25 years in architectural design, research, teaching, and academic administration. He is committed to advancing the cause of higher education and workforce training and has a proven track record in launching successful academic and technical programs. He is particularly passionate about promoting service learning and community engagement, as well as sustainable community development. His design portfolio showcases a wealth of experience in residential, mixed-use, and community development projects, both domestically and internationally. Notably, he played a key role in the co-design of the first LEED Silver home in the Rio Grande Valley in 2008, which was subsequently featured in the 2013 Brownsville TEDx.
About Origo Works
Origo Works is a full-service real estate development firm focused on creating opportunities and enhancing lives through innovative real estate projects across Texas. Committed to sustainable growth and community development, Origo Works partners with local businesses and national brands to redevelop properties that inspire positive change. For more information about Origo Works and its projects, please visit www.origoworks.com.
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Ramiro Gonzalez, director of development for Origo Works, spoke about his company’s current projects at a recent BTX Developers Tour event. He made his presentation in the courtyard of the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation's offices.
Gonzalez pointed out that he worked for the City of Brownsville for 14 years. “It is really amazing to see the growth in Brownsville. It is really good to see the vision and (now) the reality.”
Origo Works takes clients from design to reality and can also manage property, Gonzalez said, explaining that improving Brownsville is part of its mission. He ran through some of its current projects, including one that is “hot off the presses.”
“We actually just closed on this property yesterday. So, nobody knows about it, really. This property is on 511 and 48, right past the Love’s gas station,” Gonzalez said. “So, we’re planning on building about 40,000 square feet of retail there, with two pad sites. One of them will be a bank and the other one, we don't know yet at this point.”
Gonzalez said the project will be an eight-to-ten-million-dollar investment.
“This property has been there for a long time and we're very excited about developing it. We hope to deliver this project sometime, I would say, July to September of next year. We are aggressively moving towards construction on this.”
Another project Origo is working on, Gonzalez said, is a 150,000 square foot warehouse in partnership with the City of Brownsville.
“We recently signed a letter of intent to move forward with feasibility and financing on this specific project. This is right in front of the airport. We really feel there is a demand for warehousing. We all know that warehousing is at a premium in in Brownsville and in the Valley.”
Gonzalez said this project will not be Origo’s first foray into industrial. However, he pointed out, it is the first warehouse project the company has done in quite a while.
“We don't have a timeline yet on this, but I did want to put it out there. It will be about 150,000 square feet of new warehouse space.”
Gonzalez said Origo really believes in improving Brownsville and by way of an example mentioned its recent purchase of Palm Village.
“There's a lot of nostalgia around Palm Village for us Brownsvillians and certainly there's a lot of interest in this center,” Gonzalez said.
“It is three-to-four-million-dollar investment, and we are getting a lot of interest. We have signed up a lot of people so, stay tuned for those new tenants.”
Gonzalez said Origo is “really excited” about what will come to Palm Center. “It really is going to liven up the entire area. So, this is right along Palm Boulevard, right down the street.”
Many developers do not do redevelopments, Gonzalez said. “We do,” he said, pointing to a slide of the old Global site in Brownsville.
“We call it Sable Center. We're putting a new name behind it. Global moved out and the building sat vacant. We partnered up with the Yturria family, the original owners of the center, and we're bringing it to life again.”
Since they had a groundbreaking ceremony about two months ago, Origo has had a lot of interest, Gonzalez said.
“We've signed up a lot of people. And when we're done, it really is going to transform this corner of Price and the expressway. So, we’re close to finishing this project. Sometime late next year, it should be all wrapped up and one hundred percent occupied.”
