A Lasting Legacy McAllen SHINES light on Alonzo Cantu’s work

How does that old Joni Mitchell song go? “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.”

From the song, “Big Yellow Taxi,” Mitchell’s lyrics became an environmentalist anthem of sorts in the early 1970s, decrying environmental destruction and excessive urban development.

Few areas of the country experienced urban development like the RGV, with its almost unparalleled rapidity and unprecedented expansion, thanks in large part to the passage of NAFTA in 1992 and the trade treaty’s implementation Jan. 1, 1994.

Pre-NAFTA, the Valley was this relatively peaceful pastoral setting largely forgotten by the state’s political class, even with a few bigger cities thrown into the mix, Brownsville and McAllen; but for the most part, this area of the state was still alive and ripe with ag fields galore, citrus orchards that turned the air sweet in the spring, palm trees more numerous than today, packing sheds that employed many, many people, and the proverbial snowbirds from which the many RV parks sprang.

Post-NAFTA, through the 1990s and early 2000s, the county’s largest city, McAllen, grew from a population of 89,000 in 1990 to 130,000 in 2010, to its 2022 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau – 146,000.

Neighboring cities in all directions followed suit when it came to commercial development surrounded by new neighborhoods of all shapes and sizes.

City Honors Alonzo Cantu

Last week, the City of McAllen and its Public Works Dept. came up with an award meant to shine a light on people in the community who go above and beyond what it takes to make this city a better place to live, and who have played a part in its continued growth and success.

Called the McAllen SHINES Community Champion Award, Local Developer Alonzo Cantu accepted the recognition last week during a city ceremony that also saw the lighting of a Christmas tree at Nolana Tower, marking the start of the holiday season.

In accepting the award, Cantu said he was honored.

“McAllen is a city with endless potential, and I am humbled to be recognized as its first Community Champion,” he said. “This award is a reflection of the hard work of many people who share a vision for a brighter, better McAllen. I hope this inspires others to continue giving back to our community.”

In the case of Alonzo Cantu, according to the city, he was recognized for his outstanding leadership and beautification of McAllen business spaces.

“I know some people say, ‘Oh, it’s Alonzo,’ as if that’s why he’s getting this city award,” said McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, “but Alonzo Cantu was doing this a long time before just about anybody else. So, yes, he deserves it.”

According to a city press release, “In addition to the lifetime of community and economic contributions Cantu has made to the City of McAllen, the award recognizes his beautification efforts at Nolana Tower, located on the corner of Nolana and 10th Street in McAllen.”

At last Friday’s ceremony, Cantu was actually honored with two prestigious awards. The first, a reflective sign that will be installed at the Nolana Tower allowing community members to see themselves mirrored as future Community Champions, serving as an inspiration for acts of service. The second, a star-shaped personal award, symbolizing Cantu’s exemplary leadership and example for McAllen residents striving to make a positive impact.

One can look around at just a few of his commercial developments, whether it’s the Water Towers Development on Nolana and 6th, or the Arts District on Main, or any of the Lone Star Bank locations, of which Cantu is board chairman, DHR medical grounds, the Uptown Plaza on 10th Street where the old Waugh’s Nursery used to stand, and it’s pretty evident that more thought went into the Cantu Construction landscaping work, design than simply meeting “bare minimum code,” trying to squeeze pennies.

Indeed, according to the city’s press release – “Mayor Villalobos and other McAllen city officials shared that Cantu’s impact extends beyond beautification. Through his leadership with organizations like Lone Star National Bank, DHR Health and Cantu Construction & Development Company, Cantu is one of the biggest drivers of economic development in the region. His efforts have created jobs, improved healthcare access, and provided essential services like housing and entertainment, leaving a lasting effect of progress and prosperity for the community.”

For his part, McAllen’s newest city manager and former city attorney, Isaac J. Tawil, also praised Cantu’s contribution to the city.

“Alonzo Cantu’s work has transformed McAllen,” said Tawil. “From creating public spaces that are warm and welcoming, to driving economic growth, he sets a shining example of leadership and community commitment. His contributions inspire all of us to take pride in our city and work together to make McAllen shine.”

In the Beginning

Forty-some years ago, Alonzo Cantu was fresh out of the University of Houston with a degree in finance, working with his dad, Guadalupe Cantu, as they began to build a business: Cantu Construction. Five years later, Alonzo Cantu was one of a group of local businessmen who founded Lone Star National Bank.

Today, one could easily describe him as one of the RGV’s biggest homegrown success stories, considering that he was born relatively poor in the old labor camp near the corner of McColl and Hackberry in McAllen. His family went to Mexico for a short while after he was born but returned to McAllen when he started the second grade.

While growing up, Cantu worked the farm migrant circuit with his parents, picking grapes before graduating from McHi in 1973. Initially, he went to UT-Pan Am (now UTRGV) to get his pre-requisites to gain entry into pharmacy school, but once enrolled, he decided that the profession wasn’t for him; so he switched to the University of Houston and majored in business and finance.

“When I came back, I worked for a bank, decided that wasn’t for me, so I joined my father in the construction business. We built two homes in 1978 and moved on from there.”

As Cantu started making money in home construction -- build and sell, build and sell he started depositing his nickels and dimes in the old (now defunct) Metropolitan Bank and buying up bank stock. Over time, he ended up owning a lot of bank stock, which made the major stockholders kind of nervous – Who is this brash, young kid buying up all of our bank stock?

“So when Cruz (Cantu) asked me if I wanted to invest in Lone Star (National Bank), I said yes,” said Cantu.

Goodbye, Metropolitan; hello, Lone Star. From there, with regard to Cantu’s business successes, the rest, as they say, is history.

“I tell my employees that since I started working (in the construction business), I’ve only taken off for a day and a half. I probably work more now than I ever have. I work all the time. If I get aches, I don’t go home. I like what I do. I don’t have time to get sick.”

Since the start of Cantu Construction in 1978, and Lone Star Bank’s inception in 1983, Cantu, the bank’s board chairman, has also helped build and develop Doctors Hospital at Renaissance (DHR), now the largest doctor-owned hospitals in the country. He and his family also fund two family endowments at UTRGV named in honor of his deceased father, Guadalupe Cantu, and his sister, longtime educator Hilda Cantu Garza. One endowment assists education majors while the other endowment assists business majors.

With so much success, however, the critics, some of whom are jealous if human nature is any indicator, lash out in Cantu’s direction, and there never seems to be a shortage of them.

“Never argue with an idiot,” is a fond saying of his before delivering the punch line: “People watching might not be able to tell the difference.”

A seeming Stoic by nature, with thick skin, Cantu pays little heed to the naysayers. He’s too busy working on his next project.

Still, he’s a favorite target of the anonymous posters who inhabit social media, especially Facebook, where they typically make unsubstantiated claims that he’s trying to take over the world. If not the world, then the state. If not the state, then certainly the RGV, or all three at once.

Still, Cantu doesn’t engage. He’s too busy building things, buying things, developing things, getting involved with sports teams. All centered in McAllen and the RGV.

Cantu, however, remains adamant when he says that the main reason he’s one of the RGV’s biggest cheerleaders, with McAllen as his base camp, is because he is thankful for the opportunities this area has provided his family, starting with his parents. He’s seen the poor side of life, and he knows that the only escape is by becoming educated, which includes hard work, whatever that may entail, and a vision.

“McAllen is my home,” he said. “With that comes social responsibility, which includes the bank, the hospital, my construction company, myself, the title company, our other businesses. I tell my employees that it’s important we execute both the social responsibility we have to the less fortunate with our business.”

According to McAllen Mayor Villalobos, the city isn’t yet sure if the SHINES Community Champion Award will be handed out annually or twice a year.

“We’ll have to see how it goes,” he said, “but again, congratulations to Alonzo Cantu.”

About McAllen SHINES

From the city’s Office of Communications: McAllen SHINES is a city-wide initiative developed and managed by McAllen Public Works that is focused on promoting cleanliness, respect and civic pride throughout the community. Its mission is to engage citizens, businesses and city departments in collaborative efforts to keep McAllen beautiful, vibrant, and welcoming. Through various programs, events, and partnerships, the programs aim to foster a sense of responsibility and pride among all residents, encouraging everyone to do the right thing and contribute to the well-being of the city. Through McAllen SHINES, the City of McAllen is dedicated to making a positive impact on the city and inspiring others to keep McAllen shining bright.

For more information about McAllen SHINES and the Community Champion Award, visit the McAllen Public Works website or follow McAllen SHINES on social media.