WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 25, 2006 LOCAL LAREDO MORNING TIMES | 3A BBVA receives OK, will acquire Texas State Bank

By MIKE HALL a special meeting Sept. 25. By law, the ito, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, also make Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria the National Bank has grown to approxi- LAREDO MORNING TIMES transaction can’t be completed until at McAllen-Edinburg-Mission and Tyler. It’s largest bank in the Texas market. mately $3.5 billion in assets and is the least 15 days after approval by the Feder- based in McAllen. The move is another step by BBVA to fifth largest independent bank in Texas. Texas Regional Bancshares, the hold- al Reserve Bank of New York. Texas Regional Bancshares will be- strengthen its presence in South Texas, It has branches in many areas of the ing company for Texas State Bank, said BBVA is the parent company of Lare- come part of Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria’s bank officials said. state, including Austin, Brownsville, Monday that Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Ar- do National Bank. U.S. retail banking unit when the merger BBVA bought Laredo National Banc- Corpus Christi, Dallas, Harlingen, gentaria has received regulatory approval Texas State Bank, a wholly owned sub- is completed. shares, the holding company for The Houston, McAllen, San Antonio and San for the acquisition of the Texas bank. sidiary of Texas Regional Bancshares, The Texas bank will continue current Laredo National Bank and South Texas Marcos. The $2.16 billion deal was announced does business in 70 banking centers operations under the same management National Bank, for $850 million last year, (Mike Hall may be reached at (956) in June, and the shareholders of Texas Re- across Texas, including Beaumont-Port team, while carrying the Bilbao Vizcaya completing the acquistion in May 2005. 728-2529 or by e-mail at mhall@lmton- gional approved the merger with BBVA at Arthur, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Ben- name (BBVA US). The acquisition will According to its Web site, the Laredo line.com) Community Center awaits new home By KIRSTEN CROW Garza plans to integrate resi- LAREDO MORNING TIMES dents’ opinions on the design of the center, as well as the services County and city officials offered, through a series of town broke ground Tuesday for the hall meetings. long-awaited new Buenos Aires “The community is going to be Community Center expected to our focus group,” he said. serve dozens of residents who In addition to offering tradi- receive Community Action tional CAA programs, Garza said Agency services in the current he has been in talks with Laredo location at the Health Depart- Community College officials ment. about bringing continuing edu- CAA Director Mike Kazen said cation and GED courses to the the construction of the new center center. is a dire need, since many resi- The county entered into a land- dents have been going to the cur- lease agreement with the City of rent location for more than 40 Laredo for the property located years and because it is “one of our on Lexington Avenue and busiest centers, if not the busiest Reynolds Street: One lot will be al- Photo byAndyEllis | Laredo Morning Times center.” located to the construction of the Buenos Aires community members, along with Webb County and city officials, break ground on the Buenos Aires Community Commissioner Jerry Garza facility itself, while the other will Center’s future home on Tuesday. said he expects the center to become a “pocket park” with open its doors in the next six to playground equipment and midst of a new day because the the community. nine months, and with its open- benches. county and the city (worked) to- Garza, who has been working ing at least double the number Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas gether and will continue to work on the project for almost two of residents who will have the credited the county for being the together to serve the people.” years, said he was pleased to see opportunity to receive CAA city’s “partner in progress” in U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, who the plan coming to fruition. services. bringing a place for residents to grew up in the neighborhood, was “Even if it is cloudy right now The program serves about “enjoy their golden years.” also on hand for the ground- (outside), the sun has come up 1,500 residents currently, but “It’s going to be a place away breaking. He praised the project around us,” he said. Garza speculated that as many as from home where you can come as an ideal example of local, state (Kirsten Crow may be reached 4,000 could be served with the ad- and enjoy and get the care you and federal resources working in at (956) 728-2557 or by e-mail at dition of the center. deserve,” he said. “We are in the conjunction to effectively serve [email protected])