Irving mayor pitches renewed infrastructure investment as corporate relocations boost growth

Mayor Rick Stoeffer used the Greater Irving–Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce State of the City event to outline what he called a push to “reinvest in today and tomorrow,” citing recent corporate relocations and multi-year infrastructure investments that officials say aim to support neighborhoods and economic growth.

"Well, the city of Irving has a tremendous history," Stoeffer said, adding that the city is commemorating anniversaries for Las Colinas, the convention and visitor bureau and the Chamber as it plans upgrades to aging public systems. He named recent headquarters moves to Irving — including Caterpillar and Builders FirstSource — as evidence the city remains attractive to major employers.

Stoeffer previewed a planned Wells Fargo development in the urban center and said city leaders and staff have worked for about three years to advance the project; he said officials expect a groundbreaking in the first quarter. He also noted multiple retail projects, saying the city worked with Albertsons and a strip-center owner so that an Albertsons location will reopen in the coming months, and that a Sprouts store is due to open as well. Stoeffer attributed some delays to national supply-chain issues.

On infrastructure, Stoeffer described the city’s “roads to the future” program, noting an initial roughly $100 million investment and a second $100 million grouping of projects. He said Irving spends about $20–$25 million a year on roads and is investing at a similar pace in water and sewer, and that the city has invested about $200 million in roads and water over the last five years. The mayor also highlighted a diamond-interchange project he described as roughly a $500 million undertaking, and he said the city partners with the Texas Department of Transportation on improvements to state-owned roadways that run through Irving.

Stoeffer discussed water-system upgrades, saying the city will replace aging pump stations — including one on Carbon Road that he described as about 50 years old — and that upgrades will include modern controls. He also cited drainage work that officials say has removed roughly 750 homes from the floodplain and pointed to the White Sheet Park detention pond as an example of that effort.

The mayor framed the investments as an effort to maintain quality of life and accommodate growth, saying the city’s location, neighborhood variety and access to airports make Irving attractive to employers and residents. The remarks were part of a broader program that included an award ceremony and a presentation from the nonprofit Mercury 1.

Next steps Stoeffer mentioned include the anticipated Wells Fargo groundbreaking in the first quarter and continued implementation of the city's roads, water and drainage programs. No formal city votes or council actions were recorded during the event.