Burkhart: Within the next 3 years, downtown Brownsville is going to look completely different

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Nathan Burkhart, director of small business development at the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation, says exciting things are happening to his city’s downtown.“Our big 2.0 grant just wrapped up its third round of funding. We have had about $18 million in private capital roll into downtown just from that grant. It was created with a generous donation from the Elon Musk Foundation,” Burkhart said.“With that $2 million we have been able to attract, as I said, over $18 million into downtown. We are revitalizing a number of buildings along Washington Street and Elizabeth. We hope that this can be a catalyst for more improvement and growth going into downtown. I can assure you that in the next three years downtown Brownsville is going to look completely different.”Burkhart made his comments in an exclusive podcast with the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service. He said it is most fortunate the Elon Musk Foundation wanted to see the same things happening to downtown Brownsville as BCIC.“Which is more density into downtown, our historic buildings refurbished,” Burkhart said. Asked why Musk wants to see this, Burkhart said SpaceX plans to bring in an additional 1,500 workers, to go with the 2,000 currently preparing for rocket launches at Boca Chica. Burkhart said it is likely that most of the SpaceX workers will live in Brownsville.“Millennials, Gen. Z, they want a walkable, livable downtown area. The cities they are coming from, they want the same facilities they have been used to, in Brownsville,” Burkhart explained.“For their people to be happy they need the same quality of life aspects they have received in other cities, down here in Brownsville.”Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service website. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.