PORTLAND, TX — Mayor Cathy Skurow and the Portland Chamber of Commerce brought the wow factor during the State of the City address as she got some laughs from the crowd and kept them at the edge of their seat.
"We're coming just to get an idea of where the community is at and what the flavor is of the community and what's coming up,” one Portland resident said.
Growth was one of the major takeaways. Now, more Portland residents commute to work within the county.
"This trend correlates with the 37 billion dollars of industrial development on this side of the bridge in the past decade,” Skurow said.
Industrial development has really launched the city to new heights but back in 2003, when Skurow first started in public service she couldn't tell what the catalyst for change would be.
"We knew that we had la Quinta Channel, and that project has even evolved over time. We've adapted really well where you're zigging and zagging but you're always going in a forward motion,” Skurow said.
At this rate, the city is working on multiple projects including the leisure, entertainment district, and a healthcare campus with Gregory Portland-ISD.
"We're on this path of long-term planning. We'll be talking about project that's a few years down the road,” Skurow said.
The city said by 2040, they want to become a destination.
