 |
|
 |
 Mike
Doyle,
owner, Mike Doyle Custom Surfboards, Corpus Christi
"Everyone"s got all their focus on the T-heads, and that"s fine and good, but
most people who come here are not going on vacation on the T-heads. They"re going
to the beach. ... We need to get Packery Channel developed, put in some more hotels,
get boats in and out, add a few more nightclubs and maybe a Mexican food place."
 Robert
McCoy,
co-owner, Yin Yang Fandango
"Police have bulldozed these crack houses. Why not put something in its place
and turn that negative into a positive?"
 Karen
Middleton,
associate professor of management, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
"We"re working on an outreach program that will help students get jobs and assist
them in starting businesses."
 Ben
Jacoel,
co-owner, Forever Art
"I think (young people in Corpus Christi) have nothing else to do but drink. I
think it would be a nice thing for the city to use some money they"re getting
from taxes to maybe provide a movie theater with movies about history. What better
way to improve the city"s future than to give (young people) something else to
do?"
 Santiago
Aldape,
owner, Aldape Asphalt
"I like to have people understand that we all need to take responsibility for
ourselves. ... Here in South Texas we enjoy a good life. But it doesn"t come free..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Joey Cruz/Caller-Times
Appliance retailer Conn’s opened a 42,000-square-foot
store in Corpus Christi last year on South Padre Island Drive, where an Albertson’s
store used to be located. Retail development in the area has been expanding, as
national retailers continue to invest here despite a sluggish national economy.
Contributed art
Popular stores such as Starbucks and Lowe’s also are entering the Coastal Bend
market.
|
Retail expansion in Coastal Bend is a booming business
Things to come: Starbucks, Quizno’s, Lowe’s, Kohl’s, Cost Cutters
February 1, 2003
By Mike Baird
Caller-Times
The retail pulse in Corpus Christi is rising as expanding national retailers continue to invest here despite a sluggish national economy.
Despite last year’s departure of Albertson’s and Kmart from the Corpus Christi market, retailers and restaurants say they are confident of economic and population growth in the Coastal Bend.
One of the newest entries into the market is Bed, Bath & Beyond, part of a large chain, which opened its doors on South Padre Island Drive on Nov. 19 in time for holiday shopping. Assistant manager Abel Gonzalez said the store is off to a good start.
The retail outlook is good for the city, said Tom Niskala, Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer. "We’ve had more ribbon-cutting in the last quarter of 2002 than in all of 2001," Niskala said.
"We’ve had some reaffirmation with bond issues and sales tax issues, which prospective businesses look at, and when we had an election that responded to our economy, it’s encouraged growth."
Ron Kitchens, president and chief executive officer of the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corp., said the retail surge isn’t ending.
"It’s a wave of retail prosperity," Kitchens said. "Times have been very exciting, but we’ve not seen anything yet."
Some of the retailers have opened in large, vacated buildings.
Appliance retailer Conn’s opened in Corpus Christi last year with the largest space of any store in its regional chain, 42,000 square feet. The company, founded in Beaumont, settled quickly in the building at South Padre Island Drive and Everhart Road, formerly occupied by Albertson’s.
Kohl’s, a department store chain based in Wisconsin, is planning to open a store at Staples Street and Saratoga Boulevard.
To the joy of many coffee drinkers, Starbucks confirmed its opening in the fall of this year at South Padre Island Drive and Staples Street. The store will be 1,600 square feet with a drive-through and will include seating at an outdoor patio, said Keith Stewart, marketing manager for Starbucks Coffee.
Growing sandwich chain
"We spend a lot of time listening to our customers, and customer requests play a significant role in helping us decide where to open new stores," Stewart said.
Quizno’s, a growing restaurant chain that features sandwiches, a Cost Cutters hair salon and a Sprint PCS store are also planning to open in the Coastal Bend.
Another U.S. chain, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, also is entering the Coastal Bend market. The company, as part of an aggressive expansion plan, is building in Kingsville and has locked into a spot in Corpus Christi on Airline Road off South Padre Island Drive, which had been owned by the Corpus Christi Independent School District, according to real estate officials.
Company officials declined to discuss the company’s plans for Corpus Christi.
H-E-B, with several locations in Corpus Christi alone, continues to face competition from Sun Harvest, the Wal-Mart Supercenter and several smaller specialty grocery stores.
More Sonic restaurants
Expect more Sonic Drive-In restaurants in the area. Franchise owner Tom Curtis is planning to open another Sonic across from Calallen High School this summer. Director of operations Marvin Rutledge said Curtis Sonics, based in San Antonio, sees growth in the area.
"We’ve chosen Corpus Christi because of the growth in the coastal area," Rutledge said. "We see things moving in a positive way there and plan to open two new restaurants in the Coastal Bend in the next two years."
Real-estate agents say a number of retail chains and financial institutions continue to at least scout locations in the Coastal Bend, and a handful of restaurants are planning to open by March.
Contact Mike Baird at 886-3774 or bairdm@caller.com
|
|
|
|
|
