Weslaco downtown project named finalist for award

WESLACO - The Weslaco Downtown Streetscape project is one of three finalists for the 2008 Texas Downtown Association Presidents Awards Program on best public improvement.

The award will be presented Nov. 13 at the Texas Downtown Revitalization "Creating Partnerships for Downtown" in Temple after finalists make a presentation featuring the improvements of their respective downtown projects.

The winner will be announced that night at the Awards Gala. Along with Weslaco, Bryan and Granbury are the two other finalists for the honor, who were named by a jury panel on July 25 in Austin.

"We feel excited because after the first phase, we submitted an application," said Bernard Rodriguez, the city's director of urban development. "We feel like we're already winners in the fact that we're in the top three."

Weslaco's downtown project consisted of the renovation of La Placita Park located a block from Texas Boulevard.

City officials said the park used to be known for a heightened level of crime, but the renovation has transformed the downtown city park.

Work crews installed a new, elegant stamped concrete sidewalk along with 25 Washingtonia Robusta palm trees and a new lighting system.

Since its transformation, the city has held a number of community events at the park.

On Texas Boulevard, Washingtonia Robusta palm trees were also planted every 100 feet to go with new street lighting.

In 2007, the Weslaco Downtown Streetscape project also included renovations to street curbs and sidewalks on North Texas Boulevard beginning north of Sixth Street.

"I think it's an honor to be in the top three in the state of Texas," Rodriguez said. "There are a lot of other cities working on their downtowns. Ultimately, we've arrived in being a finalist."

Rodriguez said it was a number of downtown merchants themselves who got the projects started.