The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection celebrated the grand opening of the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector Headquarters in Edinburg. Hundreds of community leaders, employees and border patrol agents were in attendance for the official ceremony which was held on February 22nd.
This facility is a boon for the Edinburg economy. Mayor Richard Garcia, the City Council, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation and so many others deserve our praise for their part in helping to improve Edinburg.
Councilwoman Alma Garza joined representatives of the U.S. Border Patrol, SUNDT Construction Company and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in officially dedicating the grand opening of the facility. The Edinburg Economic Development Corporation wrote the proposal that landed the facility with the City of Edinburg donating the land. Officials at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who oversaw construction, estimated that the presence of the headquarters will pump 3.4 billion dollars into the local economy over the next 30 years.
The Rio Grande Valley Sector employs 1500 agents and 200 support personnel assigned to the headquarters in Edinburg, 2 checkpoints and nine substations across the region. The sector covers 17, 000 square miles ,with agents patrolling 320 river miles and 250 coastal miles, encompassing the counties of: Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo, Starr, Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, San Patricio, Jim Wells, Bee, Refugio, Calhoun, Goliad, Victoria, Dewitt, Jackson, and Lavaca. The three primary buildings at the Edinburg site include a 32, 229 square foot management building, a 15, 531 square foot support building and a 23, 814 square foot enforcement building and will employ over 150 personnel. Phase 2 and 3 of the planned expansion will include buildings in excess of 123,000 square feet, employing 123 estimated employees.
The Monitor newspaper carries the story of today's grand opening of the Border Patrol facility.
0 comments:
Post a Comment