McAllen's Heart of the City has been the subject of at least five studies over the past three decades. The key recommendations of those studies addressed major ongoing issues such as parking, the visual context of downtown, and the need to introduce new land uses. Some of the recommendations have been implemented, but many others, while worthwhile, have been given a higher level of importance.

Timing is of the essence to implement a major Heart of the City revitalization effort. McAllen’s economy is healthy and the downtown, while lagging behind the remainder of the city, is still attracting shoppers and new businesses. Time and time again, the experiences of other cities have shown that the best time...