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HARLINGEN — The city’s new $300,000 grant-funded master plan aims to guide officials into the next 10 years, recommending more jobs, affordable housing stock, more retail shops and restaurants, and better drainage.

Funded through a Texas General Land Office grant, the Freese and Nichols consulting firm turned to residents’ input to develop the 400-page comprehensive plan as “a guiding vision document and a blueprint” and “decision-making tool” focusing on the city, downtown and parks system.

“This is really helpful,” Mayor Norma Sepulveda told the consultants during a meeting. “I think at the city commission we’ve had a similar vision and knowing the community is aligned with the vision that the commission has gives us the opportunity to move forward on initiatives that we’ve been wanting to implement but have kind of been holding off to make sure we’ve got the community’s engagement. Obviously, we have a lot of work ahead of us.”

In their study, the consultants’ focus on economic development recommended diversifying job opportunities, business expansion and growth, downtown’s revitalization along with a drive to boost eco-tourism.

“People are really excited about the idea of eco-tourism and how can Harlingen capture that more for the region,” consultant Caitlin Admire told commissioners and Planning and Zoning officials during a Nov. 13 joint meeting.

In response to residents’ call for more eco-tourism, she recommended “capitalizing on the Arroyo Colorado, trails and parks to position Harlingen as a destination for eco-tourism.”

Across town, residents called for more affordable housing and more job opportunities along with drainage and infrastructure upgrades, Admire said.

In a review of the city’s housing stock, the consultants recommended more affordable housing for working families along with “luxury” housing aimed at drawing professionals, such as those in the medical field.

Meanwhile, the consultants recommended more retail shops and restaurants to help keep residents’ sales tax dollars in town.

As part of their focus on the city’s development, they recommended a public-private partnership aimed at redeveloping Valle Vista Mall into “something else,” Admire said.

Throughout the study, the consultants recommended boosting upgrades within the city’s fast-growing west-side area.

The comprehensive plan included a study of the city’s parks system, with residents calling for better-maintained parks featuring more lighting, upgraded drainage, more trails and more restrooms along with more shaded areas.

The study also found residents want more parks programs such festivals featuring music, arts and food along with a farmers market.

While the city’s parks system’s made up of 1,176 acres including 48 sports fields, 25.5 miles of trails and three swimming pools, the consultants recommended an outdoor events venue along with an additional 71 acres of park land to keep up with growth, calling for more soccer and football fields along with more basketball and pickleball courts.

During discussion, Sepuleveda said the city’s parks system stands as one of the most extensive in the Rio Grande Valley.

“Harlingen has quite a bit of parks throughout the city, probably more than most of our sister cities,” she said.

The study also recommended developing parks along the city’s west side, where Commissioner Rene Perez, who oversees District 5, said he’s working to open a park in the Stuart Place Road area.

While the study recommended the city build an indoor recreational center, Sepulveda said officials are pulling grant money to fund the project.

The post Harlingen’s new 10-year master plan calls for more jobs appeared first on MyRGV.com.