Looking Back At the $1,000,000 United Brownsville Comic Book

Banco District Development Plan

The illustration above is my favorite, fanciful, grandiose artist's conception of the 500 acres just beyond Mexico Blvd. referred to in the United Brownsville Comic Book as the "Banco District." The illustrated book of platitudes, directives and nebulous notions cost the taxpayers a million dollars, but now sits on dusty shelves, impractical, out-of-date and unfunded. The beautiful brick wall pictured above, wide enough for foot traffic with the occasional covered watchtower/barbeque gazebo for family outings would have been rendered useless by the border wall.

We are now in year 5 of the fictitious plan with the only thing real being the dollars siphoned off from the taxpayers by annual contributions of $25,000 each from P.U.B., the City of Brownsville, the Port of Brownsville, TSC, BEDC, GBIC, etc.  Mealy-mouthed IBC bank president Fred Rusteberg, his lackey Mayor Tony Martinez continue to push the concept while United Brownsville Executive Director Mike Gonzalez polishes his shoes for his annual hat-in-hand appearances before the entities begging for the subsidy to continued.  

A "resident population of 18,000" was foreseen for the Banco District with the UTB/TSC ITECC building being the anchor.  Multi-family units would overlook the Rio Grande with "middle and elementary schools sited for viability and vitality."  Not only would "office and dwelling windows afford splendid views of the Rio Grande", but they would constitute "an extremely cost effective crime deterrent design tactic."  Of course, the Ambiotec-produced funny book could not have foreseen the birds eye view residents and office workers would have had of Zeta/Gulf cartel battles with government forces.

The plan spoke of an esplanade(es·pla·nade ( s pl -näd , -n d ). n. A flat open stretch of pavement or grass, especially one designed as a promenade along a shore.) "as a linear park for strolling, jogging and bicycling that connect a series of raised parks and plazas along its circuit."   This walkway would not only provide a relaxing walk but would be part of a border security plan: "Defensive site and building design principles can further reinforce the security goals along the esplanade with secure place design, observable public spaces, creation of mutually supportive and overlapping viewsheds, and unobtrusive surveillance positioning."   All pure gobbledygook!

Perhaps, the dumbest idea of all is saved for the end of the "Banco District Development Plan," the idea of watering the landscape and replenishing the resacas with the condensation water from air-conditioning and roof runoff.  You can't make this stuff up!  "A design strategy for water conservation and water quality is to capture building A/C condensation and roof runoff for landscape irrigation along the esplanade and replenish the resacas; making for a sustainable symbiosis of urban and natural systems."

The plan featured graphs carefully noting an execution schedule for various plan features.  2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and now 2013 are mapped out.  Crossing Mexico Blvd. along Palm Blvd. I entered the Banco area recently to check the progress of the United Brownsville plan.  While observing lush, grassy fields, but no buildings, multi-story or single, no parks, or even an esplanade, three Border Patrol vehicle converged, one blocking my path in front, another behind. I rolled down my window:  "Am I breaking a law of some kind?"  I asked.  

"No sir.  You're fine.  We were just concerned about your safety."  the guard responded.  

I turned around and drove back into reality.