Business View Civil & Municipal Apr-2023

63 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 SELMA , TE XAS estates, like other cities around America. “There are a lot of commercial real estate agents bringing in tenants to the city as these new projects are being built. As an example, there was a project that was built and completed at the end of 2022. The facility offered 350,000 square feet of space, and as of March 2023, this entire building had been leased out to tenants,” says Casias. The city has become a favored destination amongst large companies looking to capitalize on the positioning of Selma between the two giant metropoles. A few years ago, O’Reilly Auto Parts established a 375,000 square feet distribution center within the city limits. This allowed others to follow suit. Another business that identified Selma as an ideal location for a distribution center is Ben E Keith Foods, San Antonio, which built two buildings that, in total, cover around 700,000 square feet of space. Ben E Keith Food currently employs 750 people. Another company that the city has close ties to is CPS Energy which is the leading power supplier. Selma is not isolated from the current labor shortages that most of North America are experiencing. Currently, the city has a partnership with Northeast Lakeview College, offering students workforce development programs where individuals can walk into roles. On a more macro scope, the city of Selma is working with the City of San Antonio and other neighboring cities in an economic development program called greater: SATX. This program helps address workforce development issues by attracting outside developers to invest in the region. As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Selma has been in a decades-long housing boom. While other cities in the country are struggling to keep up with the demand for housing, the city is glad that developers are still building within its borders.