CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — If you have crossed over the bridge to Padre Island recently, you know there's a bunch of new construction out there. City Manager Peter Zanoni along with other top city officials got a closer look at a few of the projects underway.
You could call it a field trip for city leaders to see first hand why residents and tourists alike take that drive over the JFK Causeway.
"We are the gateway to more public beach than any other city in the nation," City Council Member Greg Smith said.
Smith represents the island. He was joined by fellow council member Paulette Guajardo, as well as the new CEO of Visit Corpus Christi Brett Oetting who has been on the job now for three months.
"It's very important from a tourism standpoint," Oetting said. "Me and my team are out here. We understand the needs of the businesses out here on the island, the dynamics of how residents work with Peter and his staff, because it's a huge economic driver. Every single weekend since May has been sold out because people want to go to the beach get outside, to the island."
No better way to understand what's happening on the island than by seeing it first hand. The tour had the group checking out some of the anchor businesses, but also those that are in development like the new Aruba Bay Resort off Leeward Drive. The resort will be a combination of 80 town homes and condo units expected to be available by fall.
Among the stops city leaders made included the Island Market which is said to be the island's first grocery store. The walls are now up on the $3.3M project that has been a long time coming for residents. It's slated to open by the end of July.
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