Economic Development
Grand Opening of the Brownsville South Padre Island Airport
The Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport celebrated its grand opening in 2020! This $70 million investment includes a new 91,000-square-foot passenger terminal to better serve the region’s travel needs. The modern, efficient facility continues to see improvements through an extended runway. Additionally, the Brownsville South Padre Island Airport was constructed with spacious areas to support social distancing, advanced technology and cleaning protocols to reduce the spread of bacteria and airborne particles.
Residents and visitors can now fly to and from Brownsville! Visit FlyBrownsville.com to book your trip now.
Brownsville Welcomes Spaced Ventures
In November 2020, the Brownsville City Commission approved a strategic partnership with Spaced Ventures for local development for the space industry. Spaced Ventures is an innovative investment platform that facilitates public investments in private space companies and aims to be the largest community of space investors in the world.
Downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Number 3
In 2020, the City announced approval of the City’s third downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ), a type of special district created to attract new investment to areas that need revitalization or to further growth by accelerating public infrastructure improvements.
A major benefit of a TIRZ is that the funding does not extract from the existing tax base. TIRZ monies are a direct result of economic expansion, partnership and innovation. The public infrastructure and capital costs associated with this development will be financed with private capital. The TIRZ aligns with the City’s long-term fiscal sustainability principles for growth into northern portions of the city.
Initiation of Hotel Feasibility Study
In August 2020, the City initiated a Hotel Feasibility Study with HVS Global Hospitality Service to analyze three (3) potential sites for new hotels and development. The study will be completed in 2021 and will be used to facilitate new development in Brownsville.
City of Brownsville’s Developer Meet and Greet
Throughout 2020 the City continued to host its Developer’s Meet and Greet virtually announcing Brownsville’s newest developments. This included the announcement of Hobby Lobby at the old K-Mart, welcoming the new Tesla service station, expansion of Maximus, welcoming of Black Bear Diner and much more.
