McAllen received a $6 million grant from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to help further build out the city’s 47 acre industrial park. Funds will be used to build roads, water, sewer and other infrastructure in and around the industrial park to better attract business and development to the area.

Secretary of Commerce Lutnick, who was on site at the GE Aerospace plant in McAllen, alongside U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-McAllen) presented the grant to Mayor Javier Villalobos and City Manager Isaac Tawil.

In his remarks Secretary Lutnick mentioned that the money is intended to leverage private investment rather than directly fund the projects on its own (in case you were wondering if the $6mm was enough to do what I laid out above). City and other local leaders were expected to secure private commitments prior to being awarded the grant and McAllen did just that, lining up $34 million to be complemented by that extra $6 million from the federal government.

City Manager Tawil told the McAllen Monitor that these aren’t the first EDA funds the city has received. Under his watch there’s been two on record: one for the airport and another for a similar industrial project. Using these grants to offset development costs is clever as it’s simply free money for the taking if you take the correct steps. We must praise the City’s leadership for doing so.

While it takes work on their part to secure the private commitments, this is work that they should be doing regardless. If they’re able to then be rewarded by the federal government for doing so, it is kind of a win-win for all parties involved, including the general public who benefits from increased access to paying jobs and better infrastructure.