On Retailing

Tuesday, December 12, 2000

Hotel is under way; new Home Depot pending

Also coming soon: 6-screen Beeville theater, $2 million Rockport church

Construction has started on a 62-unit Hawthorn Suites hotel near the intersection of Greenwood Drive and South Padre Island Drive. The hotel is scheduled to open by early June 2001. The hotel is owned by Haribhai Gopaul and his son, Jatin Gopaul. Haribhai Gopaul also owns the Days Inn in Bishop and Regency Inn and Suites in San Antonio.
   The Gopauls liked the location because it is near the airport and the town seems to be growing in that direction, said Jatin Gopaul.
   Amenities at the suites includes a hot breakfast, evening manager's reception, a sauna and spa and a business center.
   General contractor for the project is Southwest Lodging of North Richland Hills. Architect is Clarence Upchurch of Corpus Christi.
   Hawthorn Suites is also expected to open an 86-suite hotel in Aransas Pass this week.
  
   Home Depot for Five Points
   The Home Depot is planning to build a 132,000-square-foot store at the intersection of Leopard St. and U.S. Highway 77 near Five Points.
   The building will cost up to $7 million and will include a 22,000-square-foot garden center.
   A general contractor is expected to be selected today, with construction possibly starting in the next month, said Ken Hayes, executive director of the Associated Builders and Contractors, which has the plan.
   The Home Depot has a Corpus Christi store at 5041 S. Padre Island Drive.
   Pull up a chair for now
   If you come to First Baptist Church in Rockport, be prepared to pull up a chair.
   Lots of other church members have for months of Sundays when the seating area was too full.
   Now the congregation plans to build a $2 million church on a 13-acre lot near North Live Oak Street and Enterprise Boulevard. The new church will be big enough to seat 750 people, an increase from the 400 people that the current church can seat, said the Rev. Walter Knight, pastor. It also will have a 1,100-square-foot fellowship area. The additional space will allow the church to expand with a family life center as soon as it is paid off in about three years. Construction could start by the end of the year and could take about a year, Knight said.
   The 40,000-square-foot church will have a natural rock exterior with acoustic areas for music practice.
   The smaller church, located at 901 E. Main St., will be sold. It is listed with Jim Villaume with Steve Roberts Realty Associates.
  
   Six-screen movie theater
   Construction will begin in January on a six-screen movie theater at 802 E. Houston St. in Beeville, said Keith Hutchison, president of the Austin-based company that will build it.
   The 19,000-square-foot building will be the largest theater in Beeville, he said. The theater is owned by Rio Entertainment Inc.
  
   Jo-Ann in new location soon
   Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts is moving early next year to an address that once belonged to Best Buy. The remodeled, 28,500-square-foot location at 5625 S. Padre Island Drive will give the store higher visibility, said Jo-Ann store manager Kay Pugh.
   The additional 10,000 square feet of space will give the store more room for additional services, Pugh said. That would include a sewing machine lease department and sewing classes. Jo-Ann will also start selling made-to-order drapes. The store will also expand its line of home d‚cor, framing supplies and fabric.
   Best Buy moved into the former Venture store at Everhart and South Padre Island Drive in October. There are no solid plans for the next tenant of Jo-Ann's space at Parkdale Plaza, Pugh said.
  

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Business writer Andrea Jares can be reached at 886-3678 or by email at jaresa@caller.com. On Real Estate is published every other Tuesday in the business section.

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