robstown - Nueces County Library System

Matching Our Community
To Your Industrial Needs
July 29-30, 2004
Summit Sponsors
Robstown Industrial Development Corporation
Robstown Area Development Commission
City of Robstown
Robstown Utility Systems
Robstown Improvement Development Corp.
Robstown Independent School District
Robstown Housing Authority
Nueces County
Texas Department of Agriculture
US Ecology Texas
LNV Engineering
AmeriPride Linen
Lincoln Sweet treats
Mays Construction
Hernandez Homebuilders
Wells Fargo
Wesley Community Center
Coastal Bend Baseball Club
ROBSTOWN
& WESTERN NUECES COUNTY
The Transportation
Crossroads of South Texas
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
1
The Crossroads
Robstown and Western Nueces County are strategically located at
the transportation crossroads of South Texas.
U.S. Highway 77 will in the future become Interstate 69 running
north and south through the region. It already carries significant
amounts of north-south freight traffic. Texas State Highway 44 runs
through Robstown carrying east-west traffic and connecting the Port
of Corpus Christi with the Port of Laredo.
ROBSTOWN
& Western Nueces County
BEE
Union Pacific Railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and
Texas Mexican Railway all serve the community and their tracks
interconnect at the Robstown crossroads.
REFUGIO
This location at the region's pivot point is made more attractive as
a manufacturing, maintenance and service center by the availability
of full infrastructure support – utilities, telecommunications,
transportation, supply, waste disposal, and educational facilities.
LIVE
OAK
SAN
PATRICIO
JIM
WELLS
ARANSAS
The Robstown area is the first point of commerce for companies
looking for an excellent geographical location at a lower property cost
with access to excellent intermodal transportation assets.
ROBSTOWN
NUECES
KLEBERG
AUSTIN
U.S.
59
35
10
The Robstown
vicinity offers
excellent access to
highway and rail
corridors.
45
HOUSTON
SAN ANTONIO
U.S.
77
Del Rio
CIUDAD
ACUNA
69
Freeport
35
PIEDRAS
NEGRAS
VICTORIA
37
Eagle Pass
U.S.
59
Cotulla
U.S.
77
Beeville
George
West
ROBSTOWN
Port of
Corpus
Christi
Sinton
Freer
Port of
Laredo
44
U.S.
59
NUEVO LAREDO
TEX-MEX
BNSF
LAREDO RAILWAYS
CORPUS
CHRISTI
San
Diego
Kingsville
Gulf
of
Mexico
69
Falfurrias
UNION
PACIFIC
RAILROAD
U.S.
MEX
U.S.
85
281
77
U.S.
83
McAllen
Edinburg
Harlingen
Pharr
MEX
40
MONTERREY
✈
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
CHINA
SCALE IN MILES
Brownsville
REYNOSA
MATAMOROS
0
25
50
75
100
© Don Rodman 2004
2
At the Center of the Region
Robstown and Western Nueces County are at the geographic
center of the Coastal Bend region. This eight-county metropolitan
area has a population of more than 500,000.
Key ingredients in the region's economy are oil and gas exploration
and production, petroleum and chemical processing, agribusiness
and seafood production, a variety of military missions, metal
fabrication, visitor and leisure businesses, transportation and primary
metals processing. The region's largest manufacturing operations are
tied to the Port of Corpus Christi which is an important seaport
serving Texas and Mexico.
Robstown, Northwest Corpus Christi and the U.S. Highway 77
Corridor through Western Nueces County make up a distinct
subregion – separated from the central city but less than 30 minutes
driving time to almost any point in the metropolitan area. This
subregion is characterized by well-defined zones of land use
including suburban neighborhoods, concentrated retail, intense
agriculture, heavy industry and transportation service businesses.
Robstown is nine miles from Corpus Christi International Airport
and 15 miles from downtown Corpus Christi. All terminals at the
Port of Corpus Christi can be reached in less than 20 minutes. Nueces
County Airport, located in Robstown, accommodates corporate
planes and air freight operations with a 3,700-foot runway.
Western Nueces County offers
conveniently situated and economicallypriced sites for transportation, service and
manufacturing businesses.
TEXAS
188
SINTON
TEXAS
35
UN
ARANSAS
COUNTY
IO
N
ROCKPORT
To
Laredo
ELEMENTIS
CHROMIUM
VALERO
REFINING
Nueces
County
Airport
County
Fairground
HARBOR BRIDGE
BERRY VALERO
CONT. REFINING
TEXAS
286
CORPUS
CHRISTI
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
ROBSTOWN
nd
Isla
e
Jos
TEXAS
TREASURE
TERMINAL
PORT
ARANSAS
CORPUS
CHRISTI
TEXAS
TEXAS
358
Texas A&M
University
Corpus Christi
U.S.
77
J. RAY
McDERMOTT
Naval
Station
Ingleside
FLINT HILLS
RESOURCES
EAST PLANT
DeDIETRICH
44
Redfish
Bay
CORPUS CHRISTI SHIP CHANNEL
CITGO
REFINING
EAST
TEXAS
COMBEX
GULF
COPPER
GULF
MARINE
FAB.
Corpus Christi Bay
CITGO
REFINING
WEST
GULF
MARINE
INGLESIDE
NAVY
EMR
FLINT HILLS
RESOURCES
WEST PLANT
EQUISTAR
TEXAS-M
EXICA
BNSF N RR
AGUA DULCE
WA
TE
RW
AY
INGLESIDE
CO-GEN
DUPONT
KIEWIT
OFFSHORE
181
Nueces Bay
44
AC
SHERWIN
ALUMINA
U.S.
69
ARANSAS
PASS
TEXAS
361
OXYCHEM
TEXAS
BANQUETE
ALICE
PCCA
Proposed GREGORY
Container
POWER
Terminal
Nueces
River
Delta
37
CONN
BROWN
HARBOR
FABCON
PORTLAND
FUTURE
IN
77
TR
35
624
JIM WELLS
COUNTY
ST
AL
DEGUSSA
CROSSTEX
GAS
PLANT
TEXAS
U.S.
Western
Nueces
County
Aransas
Bay
1069
OA
ODEM
TAFT
NUECES
COUNTY
Oso
Bay
U.S.
281
361
Isla
nd
RR
EDROY
181
N.A.S. CC
&
CC Army
Depot
Mu
sta
ng
C
IFI
SAN PATRICIO
COUNTY
Nueces
River
U.S.
UN
IO
BN
N
PA
T SF
CI
BE RAC & T
FIC
T K E
RR
AN WE AG XME
D EN E R X H
RO H IG A
BS OU HT VE
TO STO S
WN N
C
PA
ORANGE
GROVE
37
San
SANDIA
TEXAS
359
MUSTANG
ISLAND
STATE PARK
UN
ION
PAC
IF
IC R
R
DRISCOLL
Gulf
of
Mexico
BISHOP
NORTH
CELANESE
SCALE IN MILES
0
5
Copyright 2004 - Don Rodman
10
Lag
u
N.A.S.
KINGSVILLE
dre
KLEBERG
COUNTY
Ma
KINGSVILLE
na
Texas A&M
University
Kingsville
To Brownsville
McAllen
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
PADRE ISLAND
NATIONAL
SEASHORE
© Don Rodman 2004
3
TRANSPORTATION
UNION
PACIFIC
MAIN LINE
Robstown is ideally located for trade opportunities due to its
location at the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 – the gateway to the
Rio Grande Valley and Mexico – and State Highway 44 providing
access to the inland port of Laredo.
UE
MAIN AVEN
TEX-MEX
RAILWAY
MAIN LINE
Bus Lines: Served by Regional Transportation Authority and
Valley Transit System.
Airlines: Southwest, Continental, American and Delta at nearby
Corpus Christi International Airport.
EAST-SOUTH
CONNECTOR
WEST-NORTH
CONNECTOR
Motor Freight Lines (certified to stop): U.P.S., Federal Express,
Central Freight, Consolidated Tex-Pack, and Southwestern Motor
Freight.
NORTH
Robstown rail connections allow non-stop
transfer from one rail line to another.
Highways: U.S. Highway 77 (being upgraded to interstate
standards from Robstown to I-37); TX State Highway 44 (receiving
upgrades); and Interstate 37 connection 4 miles north of Robstown.
Port of Corpus Christi: 45’ channel depth, public and private cargo
handling terminals, open storage and fabrication sites, and dockside
rail from multiple carriers.
RAILROAD SERVICE
Area Rail System
TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY
COMPANY
U.S.
Union Pacific
Railroad
➪
ODEM
37
Nu
ece
sR
181
77
➪
To
San
Antonio
U.S.
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
TA
To
Houston
• Multiple and competitive rail
service.
BNSF & TEXMEX HAVE
TRACKAGE RIGHTS
BETWEEN HOUSTON
AND ROBSTOWN
ive
• Nueces County Rural Rail
District created in 2001.
Port of
Corpus Christi
Inner Harbor
r
CC Terminal
Railroad
ROBSTOWN
UNION PACIFIC
RAIL YARD
➪
44
DRISCOLL
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
RS
➪
U.S.
To
Rio Grande
Valley
Texas Mexican
BNSF
Railroads
CORPUS
CHRISTI
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
AY
E
To
Laredo
77
• TEXAS MEXICAN RAILWAY
has been making major
maintenance expenditures
between Laredo and Robstown.
• Three highway bridges over rail
lines in the Robstown vicinity
minimize rail disruption of
vehicular traffic.
TEX MEX
RAIL YARD
TEXAS
BURLINGTON NORTHERN
SANTA FE
© Don Rodman 2004
4
Major Employers In Western Nueces County
Nu
ece
Bazemore
Birding
iv Park
sR
NORTH
er
CISD
CPL
Northwest
Regional Hospital
37
FUTURE
Verizon
Flint Hills
Refining
69
ROBSTOWN
RISD
TEXAS
44
BANQUETE
Coastal
Bend
Aviators
Trout Trucking
Nueces County
Airport
Helena Chemical
Thomas Energy
Equistar Sam Kane
Beef
Tex-Mex
DeDietrich
Rail Yard
TEXAS
44
Combex
Tex-Wave
Hanson Concrete
Products
Atlas Tubular
Cotton &
Grain
Farming
Valero
Citgo Refining
Refining
Texas A&M
Extension
Center
CORPUS
CHRISTI
INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT
2826
Coastal
Bend
Youth
City
U.S.
77
US Ecology Texas
BFI
El Centro
Oil & Gas
Exploration
& Production
DRISCOLL
© Don Rodman 2004
Celanese
BISHOP
EMPLOYER DATA
Northwest Regional Hospital
Robstown ISD
Calallen ISD
Equistar
Nueces County
Robstown Utility System
Hanson Concrete Products
Verizon
Nueces Electric Cooperative
Trout Trucking
Texas Ecologists
Celanese
Sam Kane Beef Processors
De Dietrich USA
Flint Hills Resources
AEP
Combex Westhem
Tex-Wave
Product
# of Employees
Health
50
Education
700
Education
700
Chemicals
450
Government
70
Electric, Gas, Sewer
56
Concrete
50
Telecommunications
50
Electric
44
Transportation
100
Waste Disposal
50
Chemicals, Plastics
1,050
Beef Packing
500
Glass Lined Vessels
85
Petroleum Refining
500
Electric Utility
120
Building Components
Metal Galvanizing
Union
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Building panel production at
Combex Westhem.
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
5
COMMUNITY PROFILE
Economic Development
The Robstown Industrial
Development Corporation (RIDC) is a
non-profit corporation of the City of
Robstown chartered to provide
assistance to private industry where
appropriate.
The Robstown Area Development
Commission (RADC) is a non-profit
corporation aimed at promoting
economic development efforts in the
Robstown area. The Commission was
formed as a consolidation of the
Chamber of Commerce and the
Robstown Economic Development
Commission. The RADC is governed by
a Board of Directors, consisting of 12
directors elected from the
organization’s general membership,
and five public directors.
Robstown’s vision is to be a prosperous and progressive familyoriented community. Its people are diverse, yet unified in cultivating
a harmonious and safe environment for all citizens. Robstown has
established itself as a hub for recreational, agricultural, residential,
tourism, economic, and technological activity by capitalizing on our
position at the crossroads of South Texas.
The City of Robstown is more than 12 square miles in size and it
remains a critical agricultural center for South Texas. With
approximately 13,000 people, it is the second most populated city in
Nueces County behind Corpus Christi.
The Robstown vicinity has the developed infrastructure needed as
a foundation for productive private investment and the area includes
a significant amount of undeveloped land for both residential and
commercial development.
HISTORY
By the early 1900’s, Robstown had become the junction between
railroad lines and a major agricultural and transportation center.
Agriculture has always played an important role in Robstown’s local
economy. In 1907, a Nebraska developer, George H. Paul, bought
most of the Driscoll Ranch and sold it to settlers for agricultural
development. Robstown was named for Robert Driscoll Jr. In 1911,
the Old Brendle Gin became Robstown’s first cotton processing
facility, as the young city began a long tradition as an agricultural
center for the Coastal Bend.
POPULATION
Western Nueces County had a 2000 population of approximately
60,000 (U.S. Census) with a population inside the Robstown city
limits of 12,727. Nueces County had a 2000 population of 313,645.
CITY GOVERNMENT
Home Rule; City Charter; governed by Mayor and six City Council
members. Outstanding municipal police and fire departments. Land
use governed by city planning and zoning.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Robstown passed a “4B” half-cent sales tax in 1998. This money
has been leveraged with projects of the Regional Transportation
Authority (RTA) to develop a downtown revitalization project
completed in 2002 to reconstruct Main Avenue including paving, new
sidewalks, drainage and lighting handicapped accessibility
improvements.
COMMUNICATION
Newspapers:
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
Corpus Christi Caller Times (Daily)
Nueces County Record Star (Weekly)
6
UTILITIES
Apartments
Electricity:
City of Robstown (inside Robstown)
AEP
Nueces Electric Cooperative
Gas:
City of Robstown
Telecommunications: Verizon Southwest
Water:
Nueces County Water Control District #3
South Texas Water Authority
City of Corpus Christi
Wastewater:
City of Robstown or City of Corpus Christi
Solid Waste:
Contract with Absolute Industries (inside Robstown)
Boys & Girls Club
ROBSTOWN CITY SERVICES
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Personnel:
Programs:
Hanson Concrete Products
Response Time:
29
Neighborhood Watch
CommuniCare
911 System
Foot Patrols
Bicycle Patrols
Drug Awareness
Anti-Gang Seminars
3-4 minutes/City/Area
Personnel:
Programs:
Response Time:
9 plus 30 volunteers
Mutual Aid
3-4 minutes/City/Area
FIRE DEPARTMENT
BANKING FACILITIES
Wells Fargo Bank Texas
Charter Bank
First State Bank of Odem
Combex Westhem
Bank of America
First Capital Bank
Equistar and Cotton Field
Petronila Grain
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
7
Robstown High School
campus complex.
EDUCATION
The Robstown area has excellent educational resources with its
award-winning school districts and its access to universities and
community colleges. The Robstown Independent School District has
been Recognized by the Texas Education Agency as an innovative
district which provides a quality year-round curriculum in a
classroom learning environment.
Number of Educational Facilities: Four elementary schools and
one private elementary. One public middle school and one private
middle school. One public high school. Total public enrollment
4,332. Student/teacher ratio: 22-1. Total private enrollment 137.
Student/teacher ratio: 9-1.
Higher educational facilities within 25 miles include Texas A&M
University at Corpus Christi; Texas A&M University at Kingsville;
Del Mar College in Corpus Christi; and Coastal Bend Community
College at Alice. Del Mar and Coastal Bend offer a wide variety of
technical and medical training programs.
Texas A&M University - Kingsville with its
strong engineering and research
programs is located just 20 minutes to the
south of Robstown.
Some of the winners at Nueces County Jr.
Livestock Show and Sale which raises
more than $1 million a year in
scholarships for local students and is the
state's largest event of its kind.
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
8
TOURISM
Distance In Miles
El Paso
681
San
Antonio
128
Historically, cotton and vegetable farming have played an
important role in Robstown’s economy. The community celebrates
this heritage each year at the RADC’s Cottonfest, its October family
festival. Live music, arts and crafts, sports competitions, cook-offs,
contests, carnivals, and historical exhibits provide
something for everyone. Robstown is also famous
for many other annual events including the
Nueces County Junior Livestock Show, the largest
show of its kind in the state of Texas; St.
Dallas
Anthony’s Fiesta Mexicana; Nueces County Parks
390
and Recreation’s “Egg-Citing” Children’s Easter
Egg Hunt; the Nueces County Youth Rodeo; and
the RADC’s Christmas Lighting Procession.
Houston
200
Victoria
90
Robstown
Laredo
127
& Western
Nueces County
McAllen
135
Bay & Lake Fishing
The Robstown Historical Commission meets
on the 4th Thursday of each month and plans to
open a new museum in a historic grocery store
building during Robstown's Centennial in 2007.
The world famous Cotten’s Barbecue located
on U.S. 77 South in Robstown celebrated its 50th
birthday in 1997. The Robstown area is also the home
of many authentic Mexican food restaurants.
Robstown is in close proximity to the many leisure
time and visitor attractions of the Coastal Bend region.
Lake Corpus Christi, the Nueces River, a dozen inland
bays, Gulf beaches, excellent parks and world renown birding sites
are all nearby. Several motels and RV parks are located in the
Robstown area.
Brownsville
143
Aviator Baseball
Gulf Beaches
USS Lexington Museum
King Ranch
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
9
INCENTIVES
State, county and local governments offer economic development and
business incentive programs including the following:
STATE OF TEXAS PROGRAMS
ENTERPRISE ZONE PROGRAM
• Creates a zone within a specific geographic area, through which appropriate
businesses creating new jobs can be eligible for a refund of state sales or
use taxes paid on machinery and equipment, building materials, labor for
building improvements, and electricity and natural gas purchases.
• Offers up to $250,000 per year in refunds, for up
to a five-year period.
• May also qualify a business for other regulatory
relief and incentives, including property tax
abatement, refund of certain local sales and use
taxes, removal of regulatory barriers and
reduced utility rates.
TEXAS
44
MAIN AV
E.
Enterprise
Zone
Boundary
U.S.
77
U.S.
TEXAS CAPITAL FUND: INFRASTRUCTURE
PROGRAM
• An economic development program designed
to provide funds for public infrastructure to
assist a business that commits to create
permanent jobs, primarily for low and
moderate-income persons.
TEXAS CAPITAL FUND: REAL ESTATE
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
• An economic development program designed
to provide funds to communities for the
acquisition, construction or rehabilitation of real
estate that is leased to a single business. These
programs are administered by the Texas
Department of Agriculture.
B77
ROBSTOWN
NORTH
Un
ion
Pa
c
ifi
cR
ail
ro
a
d
Photo Date: October 2003
TEXAS
44
U.S.
77
NUECES COUNTY
TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM
• Provides abatement of all or a portion of county
property taxes for up to five years, available to
companies that create permanent jobs and invest
capital expenditures in the rehabilitation of
existing buildings or the creation of new
structures within the county.
ROBSTOWN
Texas-M
ex
ican Railw
ay • BNSF
MAIN AV
E.
HUBZone
Nueces
County
Airport
El. 79’
NORTH
Regional
Fairgrounds
FEDERAL PROGRAMS
HUBZONE PROGRAM
• Much of Robstown is located in a federal
historically underutilized business zone
(HUBZone) which provides small businesses
locating there additional opportunities in
government contracting programs.
36
892
TxDOT
OFFICE
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
10
Fairgrounds Field
Coordinated Point of Contact
The Robstown Area Development
Commission is available to serve as
the single, coordinated point of
contact in dealing with the various
public and private entities and in
streamlining incentive program
application processes.
PORT OF CORPUS CHRISTI
FOREIGN TRADE ZONE - Provides substantial advantages for
international commerce activities, including reduced or eliminated customs
duties and deferred or avoided customs user fees.
CITY OF ROBSTOWN
CONSIDERATION OF INCENTIVES ON CASE-BY-CASE BASIS
• The City of Robstown is committed to assisting new businesses with startup, relocation or expansion plans.
• Financial incentives, including local tax abatements, the issuance of revenue
bonds, and breaks in electrical utility and water rates, are considered on a
case-by-case basis.
ROBSTOWN AREA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (RADC)
ASSISTANCE IN OBTAINING FUNDS - The RADC assists companies in
obtaining public and/or private funds available to implement training
programs and building enhancements. In addition, assistance is provided
in applying for incentives, which reduce overall business expenses and tax
liabilities.
.
For more information about the Robstown Area
and Western Nueces County,
please contact:
ROBSTOWN AREA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
(RADC)
1150 EAST MAIN
2ND FLOOR BANK BUILDING
POST OFFICE BOX 111
ROBSTOWN, TEXAS 78380
(P) 361-387-3933 (F) 361-387-7280
e-mail: [email protected]
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
Community Profile Provided by
11
City of Robstown
City Limits
Corpus Christi ETJ Line
Robstown City Limits
1889
(Effective 12-9-02)
us
Ch
rist
i ET
44
JL
ine
FUTURE
Pa
cif
ROBSTOWN
44
Un
ion
Robstown
High
School
TEXAS
Corpus Christi ETJ Line
ic
County
Park
U.S.
77
Robstown City Limits & ETJ
Texas-M
ex
69
Ra
ilr
oa
d
Co
rp
& ETJ
Richard M.
Borchard
Regional
Fairgrounds
ican Rail
way • BN
SF
Baseball
Park
MAIN AVE.
TEXAS
44
38
Robstown ETJ Line
Robstown City Limits
Nueces
County
Airport
El. 79’
Highway 44
Relief Route
Proposed In
1993 TxDOT Study
36
36
ail
ro
a
d
City of Corpus Christi
5-Mile
Extraterritorial
Jurisdiction
TxDOT
OFFICE
892
Robstown City Limits
us
rp
Co
Un
ion
Pa
c
ifi
cR
75
JL
ET
n
ow
bst
Ro
ti
ris
Ch
34
JL
City of Robstown
1-Mile
Extraterritorial
Jurisdiction
73
U.S.
ine
77
ine
ET
Robstown City Limits
77
2826
69
NORTH
Robstown ETJ Line
SCALE IN MILES
0
.5
1.0
Compiled by Don Rodman (v7.27.4)
Base Photo Courtesy of
Naismith Engineering Inc.
Photo Date: Oct. 2003
Community Profile – Robstown, Texas
US Ecology Texas
BFI El Centro
Landfill
© Don Rodman 2004
12