Commercial development booms in Harlingen

HARLINGEN – Construction dollar value in Harlingen reached its highest mark since at least 2004 making 2012 was one of city’s biggest years for commercial development.

From 2011 to 2012, the overall value of construction in Harlingen jumped by more than 50 percent, according to the city’s numbers.

Investors see Harlingen as a prime location after the development of business districts in Brownsville and McAllen, according to Pauline Zurovec, a real estate broker with Keller Williams Realty in Harlingen.

Among the businesses that opened in 2012 were Bert Ogden Chrysler and Hyundai dealerships, a Candlewood Suites hotel and restaurants that include Longhorn Steakhouse and Chuck E. Cheese.

Construction also includes Harlingen school district projects such as a ninth grade campus, a performing arts center and an aquatic center.

City officials this year plan to break ground on a Sam’s Club and businesses that include a 139,000-sf megastore and a 70,000-sf retailer that will anchor the Harlingen Corners shopping center, according to Chris Boswell, the city’s mayor.

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