Business View Magazine | May 2019

261 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE MAY 2019 that will give us a head start. We do have an apartment complex that showed some interest. It’s going to be a nine percent, tax-credit facility that, if it’s passed by the state, will be a 48- unit complex going in the north of town. We’ve also got some local builders - one of them is looking at putting in 16 duplexes in another part of town, out by the community college. So, hopefully, we’re addressing some of those issues.” Regarding upgraded amenities in Hereford, Simons reports the city will be building a new community center to replace one built in the 1950s. “It will be a state-of-the-art facility, primarily for the benefit of local citizens, but also for the benefit of out-of- town events and larger gatherings,” he says. “One room will have a capacity of 450, a smaller room for 150, and several other anterooms, as well as kitchen facilities. So, that’s a big project for us.” “As far as our infrastructure in the city proper, the streets are in really good shape,” he adds. “We have some recreational issues that we’d like to address; we’re looking at doing some things at our ballparks. A school bond recently passed – that’s $22 million to do a lot of improvements to the high school, as well as a new field house, more updates at the football field, and then, some work on all the elementary and junior high schools here that’s badly needed.” County Judge, D.J. Wagner, notes that the county’s major new infrastructure project will be a new jail. “We’re looking at a 192-bed facility to be located on the outskirts of the city,” he says. “Our current jail is over 60 years old, so we’re looking to keep up with growing needs. Wagner also believes that the county needs to keep up with current trends in technology, and, since the Texas Panhandle is known for its sunshine and its strong, steady winds, Deaf Smith County is actively seeking alternative energy companies to come in and set up shop. “There’s a lot of wind energy in this part of the world; we have windy days all the time,” he remarks. “So, we offer those windmill companies incentives to be here to construct those. We’ve DEAF SMI TH COUNTY , TEXAS