NOGALES, Ariz. (KGUN) — There could be big changes for Nogales as one of its gateways to Mexico expands. The DeConcini Port of Entry could more than double in size.
In Nogales the DeConcini Port of Entry is very much at the heart of downtown. It operates 24/7 with six or seven million people crossing each year but it’s regarded now as too small and too prone to flooding. Now there’s a potential expansion to take it all the way to 20 lanes but that’s going to have a major impact on downtown.
The DeConcini Port of entry stays busy with a mix of drivers and pedestrians. They bring business to Nogales and all across Arizona.
Nogales Port Authority chair Josh Rubin says the Federal Government wants to open up much more potential and make DeConcini what CBP calls a Mega Port about the size of the Otay Mesa crossing near SanDiego. That port ranks among the top five in the US in most categories.
Growing DeConcini that much means an expansion from eight lanes to as many as 20.
The first challenge could be avoiding flooding at the port. That could mean changing land elevations and convincing Mexico to control flood water on its side of the border.
Rubin says the need for more lanes and more room for vehicle inspections will likely move the footprint of the port where parking lots stand roughly north of the current lanes—and expand to where a few businesses and homes stand now.
Rubin wants to be sure a redesigned port does not only funnel visitors directly to I-19 and away from downtown Nogales.
“Roughly 60% of all the revenue that comes into the city comes from the Mexican shoppers, comes from the Mexican national that crosses into the United States and stays in Nogales. That's extremely important for us. That's what our community survives off of.”
“DeConcini revitalization and the reconfiguration is a downtown revitalization project.”
Bruce Bracker has been an elected official and he’s a long time Nogales businessman.
As the owner of Zula’s restaurant he feels the congestion at DiConcini.
“Right now, the wait times are pretty significant getting across the border. And we definitely feel it, because we're getting, you know, 20 plus percent of our business from Mexican nationals.”
Josh Rubin says the project could cost one and a half to two billion dollars. The project is so large, actual work is several years in the future. The next step is an environmental assessment that could take roughly two years.
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
