Rodrigo Rodriguez pulls out his iPhone and plays a commercial that his business produced for Lone Star Bank.

Rodriguez, who runs a video production company in Pharr, is no stranger to technology.

His business is decked out with high-definition monitors, wireless Internet and the latest video editing tools.

But it's a case of old meets new for Rodriguez and his company, Rio Bravo Pictures, which operates out of a building that dates to Pharr's earliest days.

"It's such a high-tech industry," said Rodriguez, 47, whose company produces television and Internet commercials. "I've always thought it's nice to combine the old and the new."

Rio Bravo Pictures is located in Casa Blanca, a neoclassical home built in 1927. The house was designed by P.S. Devine, a former planner for the city of McAllen, who resided in the five-bedroom structure.

It was converted into a funeral home in 1954, then was sold to a new owner who tried to turn it into a bed and breakfast in 1997.
That plan never materialized and Rodriguez bought it in 2004 to house his business, which he moved from Houston.

Now city and state leaders are paying attention to the structure, which is subject to an extensive renovation.

Crews are in the midst of a month-long renovation to Casa Blanca, replacing three of the six wooden columns that support its roof. Workers will also repair the roof and give the exterior a new coat of paint.

The project, which will cost an estimated $30,000, is getting more than $10,000 of funding from the city, which recently gave the site a designation as a local landmark.

And earlier this year, the house became eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Despite the historic nature of the home, Rodriguez has applied his own funky sense of style to the interior, which today bares little resemble to its funeral home days.

Vibrant paintings hang upon its yellow walls, and black and red furniture fills the first floor.

Memorabilia featuring Santo, the Mexican actor and professional wrestler who starred in films during the 1960s and 1970s, is scattered throughout the house.

The office even has a bar stocked with tequila.

"I spent years and years editing in dark, windowless editing suites," said Rodriguez, who attended film school at University of Texas - Austin and has worked for the Travel Channel. "I always wanted to have a different kind of environment."

Bob Cuellar, who chairs the city's Main Street Board, praised Rodriguez's "mind for preservation." He said the city is especially excited about Casa Blanca, since the city has few high-tech businesses.

"If you were a time traveler, imagine if you came from 1927 to today into that house," Cuellar said.

Rio Bravo has done commercials for Long John Silvers, Uniroyal Tires, ESPN, Rent-A-Center and the Texas Lottery, among others.
It's also made commercials for local businesses including Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, South Texas College and Lone Star National Bank.

Rio Bravo's location in the Valley is somewhat unusual, given the video production industry is centered in Dallas. But Rodriguez said operating locally is an advantage with Valley clients, who enjoy having the chance to work with him in person.

 "The Valley is an incredible market," Rodriguez said. "What's been interesting is bringing my professional (film) crews who've never been here and showing them ... it's not a ranch town."

The building's history isn't lost on Rodriguez, who worked out of a 100-year-old factory when producing video in Houston. As a Valley native, Rodriguez said it's important for him to maintain the area's heritage.

"I think of it as a stewardship," Rodriguez said. "I want to preserve it."
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Ryan Holeywell covers PSJA, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4446.