Cortez: RGV cities are stores within a mall. They are not the mall itself.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez today begins a charm offensive as he seeks to bring the larger cities and economic development organizations in the Rio Grande Valley under the RioPlex umbrella.  Cortez plans to meet with all the EDCs, both individually and collectively. The first meeting takes place today with an unnamed city.  Asked what the feedback has been so far, Cortez said: “The response that we're getting from people we've contacted is very positive. The response that we've gotten from individual cities is they're still unsure.” Smaller cities are coming on board, however. The cities of Mercedes, Alton, Alamo and Elsa have all joined or said they will join RioPlex. Cortez’s argument is that if individual cities or EDCs go after new business on their own, they are not telling the full story. The full story is all the assets in the region, he says. And that region, RioPlex, comprises the Valley and northern Tamaulipas.  Cortez likens it to a customer visiting a mall. RioPlex is the mall and each city is a store within the mall. The city is not the mall.  In an in-depth interview with the RGG Business Journal, Cortez explained how RioPlex came about and what its goals are. He said to tell the full story he had to start with the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force.Editor's Note: Go to the RGG Business Journal to read the full story.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.