The City of San Benito has recently entered into a contract with Western Spherical Developers, L.L.C. to build a 23,000 sq. ft. convention center, a 142 room "select service" hotel and a crystal lagoon on a 65 acre property at the corner of I-69 and Hwy 509.(Select service hotels have rooms-only operations, without food or beverage services, a bedroom or bathroom for the night, but few other amenities. These hotels are typically of the budget or economy group.)
Former Secretary of State and County Judge Carlos Cascos has expressed support for this project, dubbed the Rio Grande Valley Epicenter.
A reader suggested we look into problems Western Spherical has had completing projects and claims work has not started on the San Benito project.
We've not verified yet whether work has started on the project, but the agreement between the City of San Benito and Western Spherical specified work must start by May 31, 2021 and be completed by May 31, 2024.
We did find that Western Spherical entered into an agreement in 2018 with League City, a city 26 miles SE of Houston.
The project called for a convention center, a sports arena, an amphitheater and more at the site of the existing Chester L. Davis Sportsplex near I-45.
In late 2018, League City officials expressed excitement for a project that would have added a convention center, a sports arena, an amphitheater and more at the site of the existing Chester L. Davis Sportsplex near I-45.
However, plans for the $460 million project never went much further than a predevelopment agreement that expired at the end of January 2019.
As part of the original plan, the developer would be required to pay to create new sports fields to replace the ones that would be destroyed by the development at the sportsplex.
However, Western Spherical Developers never fronted the money for the new sports fields nor the new single-hotel plan, and the project fizzled out, city officials have said.
This doesn't mean the San Benito project won't be completed, but only that we must maintain a watchful eye.
Way to show that you know how to use Google, Jim. A trait that obviously eluded San Benito officials when doing their due diligence on this "developer."
ReplyDeleteThanks Duardo for your backhanded "compliment." You're such a treasure to the online community and to the senior discussion group in McAllen. Have you ever considered running for mayor?
DeleteI agree with Jim. It's never too late to make something of your life. As they say; 76 is the new 56.
DeleteDoes the Duardo guy not know how to write complete sentences? He should have stayed in school.
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