Huge increase in warehouse space under development in South Pharr

PHARR, Texas – Pharr Economic Development Corporation plans to add another million square feet of warehouse space in industrial parks near the Pharr International Bridge.

Pharr EDC Victor Perez spoke about the growth of the south side of the city during a recent marketing and investment tour organized by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. The tour attracted real estate developers, real estate agents and executives of securities companies.

“We have big projects coming up on the south side of Pharr. We are talking about a million square feet of warehouse space. Not one, but maybe two or three, ”Perez said at the start of the tour.

“This is the impact that Pharr has in the world of manufacturing and production. These projects take time, but you will see them soon.

RGVP has been organizing “tours” of various towns in the valley since last November. However, it was the first to be conducted “in person”. Those involving Rio Grande City, Edinburgh, Harlingen, McAllen, San Juan and Hidalgo were “virtual”.

Pharr City Commissioner Dr Ramiro Caballero greeted visitors to his city over breakfast at the EDC offices.

“The town of Pharr has a lot to offer, from the commercial and commercial side to the commercial side to the residential side. Our south side is very strong right now. In 2023, we will extend our international bridge, ”said Caballero, board member of Pharr EDC.

Perez said Pharr is growing on all fronts: retail, residential, commercial and manufacturing, and industrial on the south side. He said EDC has been successful in part because of the partnerships it forges.

“We are on partnerships, we want to get things done. How do you do things? By associating with people. Sometimes you can’t do it yourself. I have a great team and a great board of directors. We have great leadership, ”said Perez.

“There is much more to come in the city of Pharr. We cannot divulge them at this time, but you will see Pharr grow up.

Before the tour participants boarded their bus, Perez walked through some of the new attractions coming to Pharr.

“There is going to be a good sit-down restaurant that compliments Top Golf. It will be the first restaurant on the market. They are not in the valley, ”Perez said.

Indeed, Perez said that Pharr is known to bring the first market settlements to the valley. As examples, he cited CarMax, Top Golf, Main Event and Pappadeaux.

Perez said Pharr EDC hopes to bring another Starbucks to town. The next one, however, will be on the north side of town.

The EDC leader also highlighted the residential developments happening on the north side of the city. He said a developer has a project in Sugar Road and Minnesota that added 180 roofs. “The second phase will be 165 and the third phase will be 135. By the time we’re done, there will be almost 400 roofs.”

Coldwell Banker Commercial-RGV has been a co-sponsor of the RGVP’s marketing and investment tours since the start of the year. One of the group’s main brokers, Daniel Galvan, said, “We like to do business with the town of Pharr. It’s such a vibrant place to do business. These property tours are awesome. Thank you (RGVP) for putting them on, even during the pandemic. “

The city of Pharr encompasses 23.72 square miles of land within the city limits. However, it also contains planning capacity for an additional 27.86 square miles under its extraterritorial jurisdiction, for a combined total of 51.5 square miles.

The current population of Pharr is 79,500. A flyer handed out to tour participants indicated that the city has a highly desirable demographic profile for businesses in various sectors. “The median age is 29 and 85% of the workforce is bilingual. This population of young, educated individuals allows companies to assess and leave the best possible candidates, ”the leaflet says.

The bus tour began with an overview of some of the land available for development on the north side of Pharr. The second half of the tour focused on industrial opportunities near the Pharr International Bridge with a stop at Andres Zuniga’s Big Fresh cold store.

Pharr EDC deputy director Tony Sandoval said all lots in the city’s product park, located near the international bridge, have been sold.

“The product park has a net area of ​​67 acres where they can expand. A total of 14 different owners who build. Each lot has been sold. The last two are under contract, ”said Sandoval.

When asked if Pharr EDC plans to build another product park, Sandoval said: “This is part of the plan.” Sandoval had never been on a marketing and investment tour before. “It was great. The level of interest is fantastic. The outlook for Pharr is great.

At the end of the visit, the Rio Grande goalkeeper asked Perez de Pharr EDC how it went.

“We are very satisfied with the number of people who participated. Bankers, real estate agents, securities companies, developers, you can see the interest is there. They got a taste of what’s to come in Pharr. Many of them made the comment, they didn’t know what we had here. We are very happy.”

Asked about his wrap-up remarks on the tour, Sergio Contreras, President of RGVP, said: “It was exceptional, to have our first tour in person since the start of Covid is special. We had between 50 and 60 people on the tour. Bankers, developers, real estate agents will all be able to share what they have learned.

Contreras said the tour reaffirms what RGVP sees across the valley. “Our region continues to grow. Municipalities are reporting record numbers for new developments. “

When asked for a comment on Pharr in particular, Contreras said, “Pharr is always at the forefront of innovation. Education, health, broadband. It was great to discover the multiple sectors that thrive here, from international trade to healthcare and housing. Pharr EDC presented these sectors very well.

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