By Bronwyn Turner
Correspondent
Published April 12, 2010
LA MARQUE — La Marque is a city waiting in the wings, with new residential developments, retail expansion and infrastructure in place to take advantage of the recession’s happy ending.
“The stage has been set,” Alex Getty, executive director of the La Marque Economic Development Corp., said. “We’ve done our ground work as far as having an infrastructure ready to handle development ...
“We’re very confident that when we come out of this recession, we’re going to be primed and ready with all the infrastructure improvement we’ve made over the years. ... I think it won’t be long before you’re going to see a different La Marque, a place with more businesses and more homes.”
Getty’s optimism is echoed by Jimmy Hayley, president of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce.
“There’s a bright future,” he said. “They have land available on the Gulf Freeway, and they have the Economic Development Corp. that has the foresight to work with developers.”
Both Getty and Hayley grew up in La Marque. Both predict the town will bloom once the recession passes.
“All of us in Galveston County need the global economy to turn around,” Hayley, who has led the chamber for 24 years now, said.
“Then homes will be built again, and buyers will be out buying and shopping for new homes, and home construction will be back. That’s what we’ve got to look forward to.”
The men listed La Marque’s advantages in economic development as:
• A vast amount of undeveloped property, including freeway property, that has infrastructure such as water and sewer already in place;
• A hurricane protection levee system;
• Location in the geographic center of Galveston County, close to Galveston’s tourist attractions and events;
• Continued retail expansion on the west side of town, near the Walmart Super Center and the dog track;
• Three active single-family residential developments, planned communities — Painted Meadows, Delany Cove and SaltGrass Crossing;
• Projections of more than 1,000 new homes being built in the next five years;
• New apartment complexes coming to the east side, including the 141-unit Highland Manor for seniors ages 55 and older, set for completion around the end of the year. Horizon Meadows, a 95-unit multifamily facility, should break ground in the next month or two;
• Active recruitment project for a grocery store;
• Incentives for businesses, including a business improvement fund that provides matching funds for businesses on major thoroughfares planning to improve their curb appeal; and
• Redevelopment of Cedar Drive with sidewalks, curbs and gutters.
Economic development in La Marque faces several challenges, Getty said, including an overall population decline in southern Galveston County.
“But I think that is starting to change,” he said. “With all these housing projects we have going on, I think you may even see a slight increase on the 2010 census for the city of La Marque.”
Finding major companies interested in moving their businesses to La Marque right now is another challenge, Hayley said. But he expects that to change when the economy turns around.
La Marque is a city built for growth, yet “they still try to give the hometown atmosphere,” he said.
Getty agreed: “The future is bright,” he said. “The best is yet to come.”
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