Imagine Brownsville Website: Proposed Banco District Project

With the temporary border fence now in place and hopes of creating a binational riverwalk dashed for the foreseeable future, it appears that DHS has won and dowtown will continue to suffer neglect and the Brownsville Crossings project off the market (as per Loopnet). But there maybe a sliver of hope if implementing a "riverwalk" carefully.

The Banco District, located in the area what was once the Amigoland mall (now ITECC owned by UTB/TSC), maybe that sliver of hope. Currently there are two medium sized resacas in this district. One that is behind the ITECC and the other next to the border fence. By connecting the two resacas together into one very large river-looking resaca, the first "riverwalk" can be formed. In order to connect the two resacas, a channel will need to be built to bridge the two and an overpass created on Mexico Blvd. Something very similar as to the drawing above. No need to bother DHS with removing the fence (until sometime in the future when the conditions are right).

All the right conditions exist to make such a project happen. UTB/TSC can be a magnet to the area, the district is very large and mostly undeveloped, access to the Expressway via Palm Blvd, and Sam Pearl Blvd (though the West Parkway project would be the ideal highway connector), and proximity to the downtown district via 6th/7th street (an overpass or connection still remains an issue until the West Railroad Bridge is built and removal of the currect track is complete).

Once the resacas are formed into one continuous loop, then a boardwalk can be created along with restaurants, condos, hotels, etc creating a nice entertainment district while the city negotiates or comes up with money for the removal of the temporary fence than can then lead to the development of the Rio Grande binational riverwalk. The Banco District can be that kickoff that can spur developement and be a catalyst to the binational riverwalk.

It is unfortunate that the developer(s) that were suppose to develope the Banco District as proposed in the Imagine Brownsville master plan flew the coup due to the border fence but if the Banco District were to be marketed without the Rio Grande riverwalk and use the existing resacas instead, it is possible to attract other developers to the district.

Until such an idea or one similar to it is created, the fate of the Banco District will remain in its current state.