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GSA outlines conceptual plan to vastly expand DeConcini port; residents press for answers
Summary
At a City of Nogales meeting, a GSA representative described two preliminary expansion alternatives for the DeConcini Port of Entry—17 or 22 northbound lanes—while residents and council members raised concerns about scale, traffic flow, neighborhood impacts and NEPA review timing.
The U.S. General Services Administration presented a conceptual plan on Aug. 5 to expand the DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, describing two action alternatives and a timeline for National Environmental Policy Act review.
"Alternative 1 would expand POV to 17 lanes northbound," the presenter said, adding that a second alternative would expand northbound lanes "to 22." He emphasized the project is preliminary, that scoping is open through Aug. 8, and that a draft environmental impact statement and another public comment period are expected next spring ahead of a projected record of decision in winter 2027 or early 2028.
Residents who spoke during the council's public comment period urged caution. "This project is wildly out of scope," said Adam Dalton, a local resident and trained planner, who challenged the lane counts and said publicly available crossing data have stayed flat since COVID. He offered to share analyses of properties and residents that would be affected in the Crawford Hill Historic District.
Mary Darling, a downtown homeowner, called the July 29 presentation "compelling" but warned the project could trigger displacement, air-quality problems during demolition and construction, and traffic and noise impacts in nearby neighborhoods. "We need intentionally to meet and collaborate with the county," she said, urging the council to resurrect advisory boards that could provide community input.
Council members asked the GSA whether the expansion would reduce present wait times and whether Mexico's facilities on the Sonora side have capacity to match any U.S. expansion. The presenter said the project includes southbound expansions (to eight lanes) as well as northbound options, that coordination with Mexican authorities is ongoing and that staffing and port layout—rather than just lane count—affect capacity and wait times.
City staff highlighted that an acquisition and relocation team will begin contacting owners and tenants inside the proposed footprint in the coming weeks and reiterated that the NEPA scoping period remains open through Aug. 8 for written comments. The GSA materials and public-facing documents are being shared on the project web page and via handouts for residents who want more detail.
Next steps: the agency will analyze comments received during scoping, prepare a draft EIS with another public review period, and then move toward a final EIS and record of decision. Residents asked the council to press for clarity on relocation compensation, environmental review status and neighborhood revitalization funding before major construction occurs.
