BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (“BCIC”) is proud to partner with the Musk Foundation to boost and accelerate Brownsville’s downtown revitalization efforts through one of the organization’s most effective programs, the Business Improvement & Growth (“BIG”) Program.
“BCIC is ecstatic with the success our BIG program has had over the years in assisting in the revitalization of historic downtown Brownsville. What started as a pilot program to help spur economic development in downtown has evolved into a juggernaut of a program for BCIC,” says Michael J. Limas, Chair of the Board for BCIC. “BIG has assisted entrepreneurs small and large to overcome obstacles that at times can hinder their ability to have a fast start. BCIC is proud to have a program that is open and inclusive to all business owners who dream of having their product or service in the 2nd most historic downtown district in Texas. We are very honored and appreciative of the Musk foundation for supporting BIG and helping to amplify opportunities for those within our community.”
The BIG Program has proven to be a massive economic development success for the community as it fostered over $3,000,000 in private investment towards businesses and properties in downtown with only $450,000 leveraged for only three years by the economic development organization, BCIC. Most of the development that occurred as a direct result of the program brought forth a variety of businesses, such as Terra’s Urban Kitchen near Market Square, and incentivized rehabilitation on key properties for commercial use.
“The city is experiencing a rapid growth in interest for all kinds of commercial and residential development; Downtown Brownsville included. The city of Brownsville and BCIC are proud to receive support from the Musk Foundation to help accelerate the growth in our city through programs that are attainable and inclusive for anyone who wishes to participate. We know that through this donation others from the private sector will begin to partner closely with BCIC to continue accelerating the continued success we are achieving for our community”, said Trey Mendez, Mayor of the City of Brownsville.
For more information regarding this press release, or to learn how BCIC is advancing an open and inclusive ecosystem of entrepreneurship in Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley, please contact Nathan Burkhart, Director of Marketing & Small Business Development for the BCIC at nburkhart@bcic.us.
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