How is Calexico and El Centro seeing population growth? (Brawley: new home, agriculture)

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Monorojo13

I am looking at a job there, what is the area like for a family with a small kids, 9/5/3. Is there much to do, how is crime? the usual stuff? I'm look towards living in Imperial I think.

If you like doing stuff outdoors it's a pretty decent environment. For a couple months a year it's brutally hot and you'll be confined to indoors with AC. But then it's all relevant if you live where it is desert like already.

[the city]

Originally Posted by Monorojo13

I am looking at a job there, what is the area like for a family with a small kids, 9/5/3. Is there much to do, how is crime? the usual stuff? I'm look towards living in Imperial I think.

I looked at the api index scores for local schools. Brawley and El Centro seem to have the best schools for kids. They just built a new high school in El Centro.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

After reading this thread, I had some free time today, so we went over the hill and into El Centro and Calexico.

We went to the IVM which was an ok mall. Not sure about any deep discounts though. Perhaps on the clearance racks? I thought most national chains whether department stores or mall stores have a set standard for pricing anyway on retail items.

It seemed more like a nice place for the local area than bargain hunting some of the outlet malls on the way to Palm Springs. Its not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation.

We then went to Calexico to the new outlet mall down there. That was nice, but some parts of it were still getting finished. The food court is still not completed and some stores were not in, but looks really promising.
We did find some deals at Wilson Leather and Old Navy. "Better" deals than Las Americas? That is debatable as we went to Old Navy, Banana etc and they seemed to have the same type of sales if can call them that (eg. 2 v neck shirts for $12 etc.)

Since we were last in the area (2010), there definitely seemed to be housing and shopping built. I think some of the development is great out there, but besides the agriculture and military, perhaps its alternative energy production that is driving jobs.
We saw WAY more wind turbines than the last time we were there. So unless there are PV plants or other industries driving that alt energy stuff, curious what is lifting the economy.

[bloom]

blue meth ?

[Chelito23]

I wouldn't say there has been any boom or growth spurt since 2010. The outlets just opened in November in Calexico and as you saw, they literally back up to the border and were built for Mexicali. The IV benefits from this in the tex revenue.

There really hasn't been any new housing built in the valley since 2010, most of what you see is from the boom years, probably 10 years old by now.

At Heber Rd and the 111 on the way to Calexico from the 8 Freeway there is a new club/strip mal/gas station complex....as the community of Heber is trying to incorporate and needed comercial projects...which is why this was built. The owners are from China (literally, in China) and own all the businesses in it...they seem to be filler, just generic place's like Dave's Mart, Discount Store, etc. No brands.

Around the IVM, a new Kohl's opened, but that was supposed to be part of a larger shopping complex to include a Lowe's, Stein Mart and Wal Mart...who all backed out in the bust.

We got a new Olive Garden and Panda Express lol but other than that, it has been the same old same old for the past 5 years or so. I guess when large developers own out parcels they occasionaly convince new places to come in...but there hasn't really been any new projects and what you saw as new had been on the planning books for a long time...

[malcorub16]

With sales tax (IVA) in Mexico in the border region now being equal to that of the rest of the county as of 2014, I would imagine this is only going to benefit stores in Calexico even more.

[Jeremyy17__]

Originally Posted by the city

No they have not always had an outlet mall. Gran Plaza Outlets just opened:

Mi Calexico

I believe El Centro saw a loss of population where as Calexico saw an increase in population from the last census.

Both cities are growing very very slowly but El Centro hasn't seen any population loss.

[elcajones]

Originally Posted by Jeremyy17__

Both cities are growing very very slowly but El Centro hasn't seen any population loss.

No one's posted here in 5 years. That being said, IV kind of sucks unless you're in agriculture I guess. It's crime ridden, smells bad, is hot desert. The only advantage of the place is proximity to San Diego and it's not all that easy of a drive.

[Jeremyy17__]

Originally Posted by elcajones

No one's posted here in 5 years. That being said, IV kind of sucks unless you're in agriculture I guess. It's crime ridden, smells bad, is hot desert. The only advantage of the place is proximity to San Diego and it's not all that easy of a drive.

Imperial Valley is literally not even that bad, the cities have really moved on from the effects of the recession and have started constructing lots of homes in Brawley and Imperial, Imperial was also named the safest city in california in 2017-2018 and is in the top 5 for 2019. Its also constantly been considered the one of the fastest growing city in CA.
Anyways, the cities are really making an effort to clean up and beautify. We really aren't in the middle of nowhere , we do border Mexicali, a city of over 1 million aka the capital of the mexican state of Baja California. We also grow all your winter vegetables. We also have the Glamis Sand Dunes, off roading, hunting, trails, museums, and night sky designed areas for sky watching. So. Its not as bad as you make it seem.

[Jeremyy17__]

Originally Posted by Chelito23

I wouldn't say there has been any boom or growth spurt since 2010. The outlets just opened in November in Calexico and as you saw, they literally back up to the border and were built for Mexicali. The IV benefits from this in the tex revenue.

There really hasn't been any new housing built in the valley since 2010, most of what you see is from the boom years, probably 10 years old by now.

At Heber Rd and the 111 on the way to Calexico from the 8 Freeway there is a new club/strip mal/gas station complex....as the community of Heber is trying to incorporate and needed comercial projects...which is why this was built. The owners are from China (literally, in China) and own all the businesses in it...they seem to be filler, just generic place's like Dave's Mart, Discount Store, etc. No brands.

Around the IVM, a new Kohl's opened, but that was supposed to be part of a larger shopping complex to include a Lowe's, Stein Mart and Wal Mart...who all backed out in the bust.

We got a new Olive Garden and Panda Express lol but other than that, it has been the same old same old for the past 5 years or so. I guess when large developers own out parcels they occasionaly convince new places to come in...but there hasn't really been any new projects and what you saw as new had been on the planning books for a long time...

Come 2019, now there are new homes, businesses, lots of medical buildings too.