KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, TX: newswest9.com | Texas Secretary of State Visits Midland, Talks to Prominent Developers

By Jen Kastner
NewsWest 9

MIDLAND- It's no surprise to anyone that Midland is booming. The city is practically bursting at the seams.

But there are definitely growing pains that go along with its expanding waist.

That's why the Texas Secretary of State was in town on Thursday to talk to developers about how we can keep up with the size.

"The national norm is 'uncertainty', but the norm in Texas is 'certainty'." Those are the words of Texas Secretary of State Esperanza "Hope" Andrade, the keynote speaker at Midland's Developers Forum, which kicked off on Thursday morning.

Secretary Andrade says, "You're in a city that's experiencing tremendous growth and I applaud the city leadership for being visionary about bringing developers to see and to personally witness what's going on in Midland."

Developers came in from around the state and even across the country.

Bobby Burns with the Midland Chamber of Commerce says, "When developers look for places to go to build and make things happen, there's not much better than Midland right now."

The oil boom is bringing in thousands but with that population growth comes a real need for more development.

Midland Mayor Wes Perry says, "The prices for apartments are very expensive. Lack of housing in general is a problem and folks are having to stay in other towns and commute in. That's probably our number one issue."

It's a unique problem that most of the country cannot relate with.

"We're having growing pains, whereas other communities are [saying], 'What do we do because we've got unemployment issues or housing issues or bankruptcy,'" Perry said.

Forum leaders are trying to drive the point home that we need to act fast. There's a reputation Midland's got to uphold.

"People are coming to Texas because of the quality of life we offer so it is important that Midland be visionary and active in ensuring that we do keep that same quality of life that is making Midland so attractive," Andrade said.

Developers say if you're looking to cash in, Midland is the place to be.

"There's simply the chance to make money. So when you see the chance for retail opportunities to come and when you see the chance for restaurants to open and see that hotels are [being] built, it's just that money is flowing because the economy is so strong," Burn said.

The forum will continue on Friday. Developers will visit various landmarks around the city and see where there's land for sale.