The Hotel El Jardin is a unique property with a significant history and important presence in downtown Brownsville. Combined with its size and prime location, a redevelopment project would serve as a catalyst for future revitalization projects in Brownsville’s Main Street District. 

Built during the late 1920’s, the Hotel El Jardin was regarded as the social hub of the Brownsville community that catered to notable personalities such as Howard Hughes, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. The Hotel El Jardin was in operation until the late 1980’s and has remained vacant since. 
Even though it has been vacant so long, the hotel is largely intact, and has been determined eligible for the National Register Historic of Historic Places. Such a designation opens up the possibility of utilizing the federal and state historic tax credit programs as part of the redevelopment process. Major features are still present like windows, tile, mill work and space configuration making this a good candidate for rehabilitation as defined by the Secretary of the Interior Standards. As this project is in a qualifying census tract, New Market Tax Credits should also be explored.