Mariah Escobar 
Aarykah Navarro/ THE RIDER
A groundbreaking ceremony took place Friday to celebrate the beginning of construction of the $6.2 million three-story, 268-spaces parking garage set to start operating in 2027 on the corner of Closner Boulevard and McIntyre Street in Edinburg.
“We’re excited to break ground today; however, the construction will officially begin on Nov. 6,” said Mardoqueo Hinojosa, Edinburg city engineer. “The project will take about 365 days and more than likely we will be closing this project and opening it to the public very early 2027.”
Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. added when the new courthouse was built, officials knew there was going to be a need for parking.
“At some point the county decided to partner with the city to make this land available here for the parking structure,” Garza said.
He said when he was elected in 2021, there were funds that were available for the parking project but they did not have any plans that were drawn up or feasible for the project.
“To do it in the traditional way … to design it, then, go out for bids, it was going to cost two or three times more than what we had the funds for,” Garza said.
The mayor added the city had to get creative with the design build and brought construction project development consultants to help. Then, it went out for bids and brought in construction and architect teams that could design the plans to stay within budget.
Garza said he is “excited” for the groundbreaking of the garage and added it is going to have a great economic impact within the community.
“This is going to be used for the courthouse; it’s going to be used for the museums, the businesses, our city events that we have for the city, and the students of the university,” he said.
The area where the parking garage is located draws over 30,000 people daily to Edinburg, according to Alex Rios, a board member for Edinburg Parks and Recreation and owner of Kids’ Kollege Learning Center.
“It’s going to be an area for us to be able to enjoy our downtown area without having to travel or walk a long distance,” Rios said.
The board member said it is an opportunity to promote downtown and hear from community members as to what they want to see.
“We’re ready to maybe even create an arts district in the city of Edinburg and really get our college students or young adults to engage with our older community,” Rios said.
He added there is a disconnection among the community, and the parking project is one step toward promoting downtown.
“If you’re not promoting this for your future, then, you’re setting yourself up for failure in my opinion,” Rios said.
For more information, visit the City of Edinburg website.
Aarykah Nvarro/THE RIDER
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