Building a Tower Next to the Rio Grande River

The San Antonio Tower of the Americas at 750 ft tall.

What Brownsville needs in order to attract more tourists is a tower similar to the one in San Antonio. A similar tower would definitely put Brownsville on the map! Here's my idea as to where to build such a tower and what amenities to provide.

As for the location of an observation tower is a no brainer. Build it right on Sam Pearl Blvd between the Gateway and B&M Int'l bridges where it would be visible for miles towards Mexico and the US. I envision a tower that is at least 1,000 ft tall (taller than the SA tower at 750 and even bigger than the Reunion Tower in Dallas at 560 ft or even the Space Needle in Seattle at 605 ft), which would make it the tallest in Texas and maybe in the nation (can't verify the nation part)! I know for a fact that even at 14 stories (Villa del Sol) on a clear and sunny day you can just make out the SPI skyline and maybe even a glimpse of the Gulf of Mexico. Now multiply that view by almost 72 times to 1,000 ft and you will have a view of not just the surrounding areas of Brownsville, Matamoros, and SPI but deep into Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, Boca Chica Beach with a glimpse of the Rio Grande ending at the gulf, and the US; maybe even seeing Harlingen with a telescope! What a view that would be! The location of the tower would place it at a near perfect view for people coming from Mexico along the highway to Victoria and Reynosa from nearly 30 miles away. People would be fascinated by a building that could be seen from miles away just as I was when going to Chicago and seeing the Sears Tower jut above the skyline even at 30 miles away. It was very impressive and awe inspiring as I got close to Chicago. If Brownsville really wants to be a tourist attraction, then it needs to build a tower that can have a view like no other place in the US. I would imagine people from all over the US wanting to take a peak into Mexico without actually going over there. The tower would definitely help spur development along the Rio Grande River and the downtown area. Hotels would be built in and around the tower. Restaurants and shops would follow with hundreds of tourists a day packing in to see the historic downtown along with a view to behold from atop. Historical building owners would then find interest in restoring their facades beatifying the downtown with its architecture and culture found nowhere else along the US/Mexico border.

Along with the view there would have to be a restaurant at top just like all other towers. But to attract more people to the tower, a convention center or events center of sorts that can hold at least 1,000 people would make it a draw to not just tourists but to events such as weddings, meetings, forums, etc. This is my version of how such a tower would look like. At the top of the tower, the convention/events center would be located to take advantage of a large skylight that could be built on the roof. The skylight would be able to open up and people could enjoy the day or evening breeze and also a skywalk could be built on the outside of the events center. Below the events center would be the restaurant that would rotate 360 degrees every hour just like most towers do. Below the restaurant would then be the observation tower for the general public. The tower would have to be built to withstand hurricane winds of up to 170 mph to ensure the safety of those around the tower. Also, the tower would have to have high speed elevators to reach the top in no time. At the bottom of the tower would be a circular parking lot with a nice land space with palm trees and native plants. On the outside of the tower between the convention center/events floor and the restaurant would be a TV style display that would be about 1 ½ to 2 stories tall along the circumference of the tower to display the latest events and such. Something similar to what you find in NY and Las Vegas with these huge signs on buildings. It would be visible at night for miles away. It would the the icon of Brownsville just as the El Jardin Hotel was when it was built in the 1930s.

Brownsville needs to think big if it were to one day match or beat McAllen’s economy. Visions such as mine are far fetched but not beyond reality. Brownsville needs to attract more tourism and help diversify its economy if it wants to succeed in the 21st century. A tower such as the one I envision would spark a building and retail boom for years to come and put it on the map not just nationwide but worldwide. We do live in a global economy and we need to capture that vision and build it to announce to the world that we’re here: On the Border, By the Sea.