TexAmericas Center: A Year WIN Review 2016
“Progress” and 2016 have been synonymous for TexAmericas Center.
Over the past 12 months, we have been fortunate to celebrate some huge wins for TexAmericas and the greater Texarkana region. As a Stateof-Texas Redevelopment Authority, our mission can be embodied into one ultimate goal: create quality jobs. Although simply stated, this charge requires many efforts involving our communities, regional allies, local officials and a dedicated and hard-working staff.
Through business attraction activities; obtaining federal and state grants; providing infrastructure improvements; strategic planning;-cultivating local, state, and federal partnerships; and proactive economic development efforts, TexAmericas Center is excited to reflect on a year of winning:
WINS
TexAmericas Center Attracts Spanish Company, Expal USA June 1, 2016
Expal USA, the U.S. subsidiary of the European defense company, EXPAL, signed a 10-year lease with TexAmericas Center in June of 2016. On Nov. 2, 2016, Expal USA broke ground on their newest site at TexAmericas Center. The company now occupies 100,000 square feet and 260 acres, including the occupancy and renovation of existing buildings on the former Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant; the southern portion of the E-line in Area E, bunkers in Area V, office space on the central campus and a warehouse in Area D.
Expal USA has performed demilitarization of ammunition, including cluster bombs and scatterable mines. This win created 80 jobs and a $24 million capital investment
TexAmericas Center celebrates $2.95 million in grant funding June 1, 2016.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded TexAmericas Center with two grants totaling $1.65 Million. These funds are currently being used to make infrastructure improvements on the central and east campuses and for master planning of the footprint through a current partnership with Olsson Associates.
Bowie County, with the help of TexAmericas Center, received a $750,000 Texas Capital Fund Grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture to aid in job creation. These funds are currently being used to make infrastructure improvements to the footprint.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) awarded Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas a Defense Industry Adjustment Grant totaling $454,772 for regional economic development efforts. TexAmericas Center is acting as the local project coordinator and convener to help accomplish this initiative. Completed phases of the grant include a customer relations management tool, a communications forum via a website platform (FourStatesRegionalPartnership.com), and a regional economic development analysis.
TexAmericas Center Receives S.T.A.R. Site Designation
The Texas Economic Development Council designated a 101-acre parcel at TexAmericas Center as the first S.T.A.R. (Sites That Are Ready for construction to begin) documented site on Jan. 13, 2017.
A documented site through the TEDC’s S.T.A.R. Site Program reduces the risks associated with site selection and development by providing detailed information about the site, including price and availability, utilities, access, zoning and permits, environmental concerns and potential development costs.
TexAmericas Center Brings New Energy Provider to the Footprint Jan. 24, 2017
The TexAmericas Center Board of Directors voted in January 2017 to approve a contract with Navitas Utilities Corp. to be the primary natural gas provider for TexAmericasEast tenants. Natural gas on the east campus makes TexAmericas more attractive and competitive than ever to industries that are heavy gas users, ultimately positioning TexAmericas Center to win more projects and create new jobs for the region.
TexAmericas Center Receives HUBZone Designation May 11, 2017
U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Texas, announced the official HUBZone Program designation for TexAmericas Center at a press conference in early May. TexAmericas Center now offers tenants and business prospects the opportunity to become certified participants in the U.S. SBA HUBZone Program. Upon approval of the designation, TexAmericas signed a lease with a new business, Braswell Services, LLC. The HUBZone Program helps small businesses, located in distressed urban and rural communities known as Historically Underutilized Business Zones, gain access to federal set-aside contracts and sole source contracts, as well as a price evaluation preference in full and open contract competitions.
LOOKING AHEAD
These highlights from the past 12 months are just the beginning. Looking ahead, our efforts will continue to be focused on attracting new businesses to the footprint. Our plans include adding move-in ready space, more shovel ready ground, increased marketing campaigns, continued infrastructure improvements, regional economic development efforts and organizing and aligning information and resources that will help all of these activities. Plans include:
Community presentation by Foote Consulting Group for the Workforce Needs & Alignment and Targeted Industry Study phase of the DOD OEA Grant at 8:30 a.m. June 2 at the Hilton Garden Inn.
HUBZone Program Webinar training on June 21. Location and time are to-be-determined.
COMMUNITY AWARENESS
TexAmericas Center is a public entity and always seeks to be open and transparent with the community about the organization’s activities. We consider this question daily “What should the community know about what we do?” These are some of the key things that come to mind:
TexAmericas Center is a public entity and is governed by a board of directors, comprised of 15 members that are appointed by the local municipalities and government
TexAmericas Center’s Board of Directors meets monthly and the meeting is open to the public
TexAmericas Center was formed pursuant to the Base Realignment and Closures in 1995; we changed our name from Red River Redevelopment Authority in 2005
TexAmericas Center owns and operates 12,000 acres of land and 3 million square feet of industrial and commercial building space.
TexAmericas Center has current building space for lease and land for sale or lease
TexAmericas Center offers buildto-suit services
TexAmericas Center currently has 22 tenants with 38 leases on the footprint. We are 97 percent occupied on the central campus and 10 percent on the eastern campus
To stay up to date on activities and projects happening at TexAmericas Center by visiting TexAmericasCenter.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/texamericascenter/ or on LinkedIN.