(May 5, 2008)

ARANSAS PASS-- Today is the deadline for developers to turn in bids for a $40 million marina project. It's the latest effort to revitalize the area around Conn Brown Harbor.

Aransas Pass has been cleaning up Conn Brown Harbor over the last couple of years. Now the town is ready to move forward and bring in what they're calling a World Class Marina.

Conn Brown Harbor looks a lot different than it did five years ago. Gone are the abandoned boats and shrimp vessels. Now town leaders are considering which developer will lease the harbor to build a $40 million dollar harbor.

"The developers we talked to there's one word they use for this particular type of marina; it's called a world-class marina," said Mike Sullinger, who is the Aransas Pass Marina Project Manager. 

We got to look at the marina complex master plan. Leaders hope to have between 400 and 600 boats in the marina. That includes yachts, shrimpers and fishing boats. They also hope to have two high-end restaurants right on the marina and a retail center.

"It's going to be a place that people can come and be proud of from the Coastal Bend , all over Texas actually," Sullinger said. 

Leaders also want to build a storage area for 800 boats, and near the seawall they want to have a boardwalk area.

"Just make it a unique area so it will bring more entertainment and more people down to this area," Sullinger said. 

The plan is break ground with the Marina project within six months and then have it built 18 months later. Town leaders hope it will spark a building boom in this area.

"We feel like we will be able to increase our tax base and make this fair to everybody that lives here," said Sullinger. "We feel this will be a catalyst to start buiding here in Aransas Pass and be something positive for everybody."

Town leaders said they believe the marina will face many challenges with the current economy, but they believe a good developer will get the job done.

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com