McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez spoke at the McAllen Convention Center on Tuesday evening. (Photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)

McALLEN, Aug. 18 - In an address to the citizenry of McAllen, Mayor Richard Cortez reintroduced proposals to sell Westside Park to commercial developers.

He may also continue with plans to place a world-class tennis center in the closed Botanical Gardens that lie to the west of the park.

In an event held at the McAllen Convention Center on Tuesday evening that was characterized by the City of McAllen as a Town Hall Meeting, the mayor explained the rationale for the proposals that went down to defeat in a May special election.

Cortez pointed to a drop in sales tax revenues and bridge crossing revenues. Without an increased tax base, which commercial development would bring, city residents could face tax increases, he said.

“Let us look at this as an opportunity,” Cortez said.

“Now is the time to do it,” Cortez also said, pointing out that interest rates are low at the moment.

Cortez in promoting the need of the city to stay competitive with its neighbors in the Rio Grande Valley, pointed to the Factory Outlets in Mercedes and the growing commercial areas in Mission, all of which spell loss of sales tax revenue as shoppers have alternatives on either side of McAllen by going east or west of the city to make their purchases.

The mayor pointed to blocks of property in McAllen that are attractive to retailers, such as Boeye Reservoir (to be re-located) and the old Convention Center on 10th Street. The property block still in contention is the 40 acres of Westside Park and the Nature Center that failed to win voter approval for sale in the May election. The city is apparently planning to offer the proposals again in the November election.

“We have three valuable commercial properties,” Cortez said. “We want to act on it.”

“We thought that it was a good idea,” Cortez said, of the original plans to sell Westside Park and turn the Botanical Gardens into a tennis complex. He said he and the city commissioners wanted to know what the public thought about the issue. “We need your counsel,” Cortez said. “If you have a better idea, tell us.”

At the conclusion of the mayor’s address a cadre of city residents stood up to voice their support and approval. Also present were many members of the McAllen Nature Center coalition that has opposed the sale of Westside Park and the construction of tennis courts in the Botanical Gardens

Some of the public present questioned whether the mayor was in fact sponsoring a real Town Hall. McAllen resident Jorge Trujillo challenged Cortez’s decision to not allow public comment at the presentation. Trujillo stuck tape over his mouth to infer that Cortez wanted to keep the public silent.

McAllen Tea Party member Paige Martinez echoed the concern about lack of public input. “In a real town hall meeting as I know them, there is time set aside for public opinion. That was lacking tonight,” said Martinez acknowledging that forms were given out for written comments. Martinez added that she like many of those present thought it was a mistake to reintroduce a proposal that had already been defeated in the prior May election.

McAllen resident Scott Nicol challenged the concept of bringing a retailer like Cabela’s or the Bass Shop to a vacated Westside Park without actually donating the land to the corporations who in the past have exacted such demands from municipalities as a pre-condition to breaking ground.

Across Ware Road from the Convention Center it was life as usual in Westside Park. Games were still in progress at 10:00 p.m. Teams, their families and just people from the nearby neighborhoods looking for some summer entertainment with their families watched the softball games in progress, some while they fired up the barbeque pits, some enjoying a plate of nachos and refreshments, all taking in a warm August Tuesday evening in the clear but steamy South Texas night.

“It would be a mistake to sell this park and turn it into a COSCO, Bass Shop, or whatever they want to do with it,” said Jose Rosales, who dropped by with his mother, Sonia and his wife, Sandra to enjoy a game. “It is one thing to bring some jobs to the area, another to take away from our quality of life by taking this away from us,” said Rosales, skeptical that another such sports facility would actually be built elsewhere.

“This is the only good park in the area right now with Anzalduas underwater,” concluded Rosales in reference to the flooding of the park that lies in the diversion channel.

A parent of one of the players on the field had this to say: “Players just want a place to play. If the intent is to replace this with something better, that could be a plus. But will that really happen?” Most of several hundred players, coaches, family members and spectators seemed unaware that the sale of the park was even an issue. They hadn’t been to the event across the street. Many may not have even known about it and may have wanted to simply play ball.

Guardian reporter Steve Taylor contributed to this story.

Write Bill Rovira

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