Construction projects to watch: UTRGV research site, Brownsville surgical center, Harlingen golf facility

There are hundreds of construction projects underway across the Rio Grande Valley. Here are some notable projects over $1 million to keep an eye on in 2026. 

In recent months, the city of Pharr approved a bond issuance of up to $60 million for its newest municipal building, slated to be a multi-purpose public safety, conference, and event center at the intersection of U.S. 281 and the northeast corner of Ferguson Avenue. 

Now the city has filed construction permits for a $40 million, 118,000-square-foot event center, with construction beginning in April and the project completed by May 2027, according to records from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The first phase of the McAllen City Center development is underway, a prime site just north of Expressway 83 and 10th Street. Developer Michael Fallek is working on the first multi-tenant building, which will cost $13 million and span 32,500 square feet of shell space, with expected finish-out for future tenants. 

Construction is expected to begin in January 2027 and wrap up by the end of December 2027, according to records. 

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley began construction of a new Marine Ecosystem Research Facility in Port Isabel, spanning 14,725 feet, and is expected to cost $8.9 million. The university’s contractors began construction in December 2025 and are expected to complete it by March 2027. The facility will be built along Marina Drive near the Queen Isabella Causeway. 

In April, construction began on the new Alliance Surgical Partners facility in Brownsville, a $2.6 million project for a 13,658-square-foot ambulatory surgery center. The work is expected to wrap up by April 2027. 

The site is along East Alton Gloor Boulevard near the South Texas Rehabilitation Hospital. The surgical facility is owned by McAllen-based Dr. Jose Rodriguez, who also runs Uptown Medical Wellness and Anti-Aging Center med spa. 

The Hidalgo Independent School District began construction in April on a 21,000-square-foot new career and technical education center, estimated to cost $6.6 million. Construction is expected to wrap up by April 2027. The building is planned next to Memorial Park on the same site as Hidalgo Early College High School on Eighth Street. 

On the retail front, the city of Harlingen is getting a Back Nine Golf facility to be completed by September 2026 — a $300,000 project near Valle Vista Mall.