Schlitterbahn Beach Country Resort – Ground Breaking!

February 18, 2013 By

It’s official. The planned $41 million Schlitterbahn Waterpark is one step closer to becoming a reality. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday on Padre Island.

Kiii News Reporter Bill Churchwell went Live from the Padre Isles Country Club with the details.

There was plenty of excitement from the crowd as they watched the mayor and the owners of Schlitterbahn break ground with golden shovels and construction equipment.

For the first time, we were able to see what the waterpark will look like, as an artist rendering of the 65-acre project, including rivers, rides, slides, surf and lodging, was put on display. It will be the fifth waterpark built by the family-owned and operated Schlitterbahn.

“This park is going to be our newest, most modern, prettiest, best park we’ve ever built,” said Jeff Henry of Schlitterbahn Waterparks.

“We’ve had our eye on Corpus for a long, long time,” said Robert Henry, also of Schlitterbahn Waterparks. “We had to develop our techniques to a finer point. Takes a lot of time and money. We’ve waited for Corpus to grow up to it, and I believe you’re there.”

Early during the development, there was some concern that the country club and golf course would be removed, but that will not be the case. It will remain in place, and it will be improved.

Schlitterbahn plans to open by March of 2014.

SCHLITTERBAHN BEACH COUNTRY RESORT MAP (CLICK HERE)

PHOTOS FROM THE GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY!

Filed Under: North Padre Island, North Padre Island Beaches, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Breaking News on Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi

February 12, 2013 By

BREAKING NEWS:

Schlitterbahn

is breaking ground Friday at 2 pm for its new water park resort on North Padre Island.
Water park resort officials are expected Tuesday to finalize the land purchase and project financing, said Jeff Henry, co-owner of Schlitterbahn.

A couple weeks ago, the city granted a grading permit for the project, which allows the project to break ground. However, full construction permissions have not yet been granted, according to Mark Van Vleck, director of city’s development services.

Schlitterbahn had until the end of February to break ground in order to meet their $117 million economic development incentive with the city.

The $41 million resort planned west of Park Road 22 tentatively is set to open in March 2014. Early designs showed the project would include a 65-acre water park with lodging, golf and restaurants. It will be built on the existing golf course and tied into a master plan for the area that includes a marina in Lake Padre, an extension of the residential canal system, hotels, condos and single-family homes on about 500 acres of mostly undeveloped land.

Via. Caller.com

Come join the fun Islanders, we will be there with cameara’s documenting this momentous occasion.  As North Padre Island makes its biggest leap in the 21st century, we still can’t believe it’s here.  Thank You to all of you that kept your vision…the day is almost here!! ~Cheri

FREE SCHLITTERBAHN MAP & PROJECT DETAILS

Filed Under: North Padre Island, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi Tagged With: , , ,

Schlitterbahn Update January 28th 2013

January 28, 2013 By


 
According to Schlitterbahn coowner Jeff Henry, the half-billion dollar Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Corpus Christi’s Padre Island is set to have a groundbreaking any day now.

The company has to begin construction by Feb. 22 as part of the deal Schlitterbahn has made with the City of Corpus Christi. The City has agreed to give the company $117 million in incentives to build the park on Padre Island on the site of the only golf course there.

The City said everything is now in place to get construction going.

Henry said  by phone that he is just waiting on a few legal issues to be wrapped up before breaking ground.

“Everything that they have done with the City is in line with accomplishing that goal,” Henry said. “They do have grading permits and are working to get everything going, so I anticipate something going soon.”

The park is set to open by March of 2014.

We are very excited here on the island to see this come to fruition, you can bet once they break ground we will be there capturing the moment and raising a glass to celebrate the biggest project ever to hit North Padre Island, Tx.
~Cheri Sperling

 
KiiiTV3.com

Filed Under: North Padre Island, Park Road 22 Proposed Bridge, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi Tagged With: , , , ,

SCHLITTERBAHN DEVELOPER “Everything is on schedule for Spring 2014 opening!!

November 30, 2012 By

LATEST NEWS: The park developer and part-owner Jeff Henry says all is on schedule.  “Our concepts for the park haven’t changed much.  We are close to groundbreaking, and it always takes the lawyers and bankers twice as long to do their work as it takes for us to build it.  All the money is in place, financing for the project is completed and is ready to go.  The plans are done but will change right up to the time we start building.  Once ground is broken, we will be working straight through to completion.”

Jeff Henry also said his crews have begun to build the equipment at their construction yard at their New Braunfels headquarters; those include some of the castles and other custom equipment that his crews have also built for their other parks.  He also said his crews usually take two weeks off in December and equipment should begin arriving at the Island site around the end of December or early January.

The $41 million resort will be located on a 65-acre tract that is currently the site of Padre Isles Country Club on Padre Island.  While no new drawings of the park have been released in almost a year, the concepts haven’t changed much.  You can see the plans on the website:  FREE SCHLITTERBAHN MAP

With the $177 million Incentive Agreement with the city of Corpus Christi, Phase I of the park must be finished by summer 2013.  The water park is part of a proposed $552 million master plan for Padre Island, which investors Willard Hammonds, Paul Schexnailder and the Henry family (owners of Schlitterbahn) are developing.

They are shooting for an opening by Spring Break 2014 but it will probably be May 2014 before it actually opens – but no later than the summer of 2014.  They won’t move any dirt until everything is ready, all the way around, and then they will hit the ground running.

Phase I of the build out will include the water park and about 20 or so overnight stay rooms.  “After that we will build out as the market allows,” Jeff Henry says.  “We will get the park open and then expand as the market stabilizes.  Once that happens we will go to Phase II immediately.”

He expects Phase I of the park to require the hiring of about 20 local contractors who will be selected from a group of about 1,000 already compiled.  “We are the general contractor and we are responsible for seeing to it that everything is right and on time.”

He said Schlitterbahn will not be hiring off a low bid.  They will hire who they think can get the jobs done right and on time.  Their company is vertically integrated from design to finished construction and their crews know how to do every job required to keep the project on time and done right.  They will try to use as many local contractors and workers as they can.

Jeff Henry said there have been a couple of surprises as the process of planning and construction for the park has moved forward.  He said there are still some unresolved permitting issues with the Island Walk portion of the project which will be a 3500-foot canal connecting the water park on the west side of SPID to Lake Padre, where a marina is planned, via a 40-foot wide water exchange bridge under SPID.  The Island Walk will also connect the current canal system to Lake Padre and through it to the open Gulf of Mexico through Packery Channel.

There are plenty of places to begin building while any permitting issues for the Island Walk are worked out.  Henry says they are excited about the project and ready to hit the ground running around the first of the year.

We’ll keep you posted as to progress along with photos once things begin.  Happy Holidays to all of YOU!!

Cheri Sperling, Owner Coastline Properties

Filed Under: North Padre Island, North Padre Island Beaches, Packery Channel, Park Road 22 Proposed Bridge, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi Tagged With: , , ,

Schlitterbahn NEWS! Construction equipment expected to arrive this month!

October 3, 2012 By

schlitterbahn corpus christiCORPUS CHRISTI — Some construction on the proposed Schlitterbahn water park and resort has begun — just not on Padre Island.

Materials are being prefabricated in New Braunfels — where the company opened its first water park in 1979 — said Gabriele Hilpold, chairwoman of the committee that advises the city on island development.

Members of the Island Strategic Action Committee said they’re baffled when they hear from people who still don’t believe the park and resort will become a reality.

But they may not hear as much of that by the end of October, when construction equipment is expected to arrive near the Padre Isles Golf Course, said developer Paul Schexnailder, of Asset Development. He briefed the committee Tuesday night.

Drawings and surveys are being completed, he said. Schexnailder wouldn’t say whether they’ve found a way to keep nine holes of the golf course open during construction — as hoped by some island residents — but said project details are being worked out.

The $41 million resort planned west of Park Road 22 tentatively is set to open in March 2014. Early designs showed the park would include a 65-acre water park with lodging, golf and restaurants. It will be built on the existing golf course and tied into a master plan for the area that includes a marina in Lake Padre, an extension of the residential canal system, hotels, condos and single-family homes on about 500 acres of mostly undeveloped land.

Under a $117 million incentive agreement with the city, Schlitterbahn must begin construction within five months and be finished with the first phase by summer 2013.

Schlitterbahn is part of a proposed $552 million master plan for the island, which investors Willard Hammonds, Schexnailder and the Henry family, owners of Schlitterbahn, are developing.

via caller.com
Filed Under: North Padre Island, North Padre Island Beaches, Padre Isles POA, Park Road 22 Proposed Bridge, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi, Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Zillow and Trulia Face Backlash from Realtors

September 20, 2012 By
By STEVE YODER, The Fiscal Times

February 24, 2012

It used to be a given for anyone selling their house – a realtor would put their listing on national real estate aggregator websites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com to maximize exposure and sell homes quickly. But that could be changing fast as the two entities face off.

Since 2005 or so, realtors have shared data about homes they have for sale with those national sites, which have millions of visitors (Zillow, for example, had 32 million last month). But even though the sites have grown, sales haven’t in the distressed housing market, and some agents believe the sites may not be helping. They accuse them of engaging in practices that give buyers inaccurate information that may hurt sales.

Among their complaints are that the sites allow any agent, for a fee, to have their name and photo appear prominently beside homes listed for sale in a given region, even if they aren’t the agent who represents the seller. In reality, the agent in the photo may know little about the property or the neighborhood where the house is located, frustrating customers’ efforts to get accurate answers, according to a report last year by real estate consulting firm Clareity.

Some realtors also claim that many listings on the largest sites are inaccurate. “The wrong photos often appeared with our listings,” says San Diego realtor Jim Abbott, whose firm no longer shares data with the national sites. He also says that the sites kept up listings that were no longer on the market. Clareity CEO Gregg Larson says Zillow and Trulia get information about the same property from multiple sources (like the listing agent, the local multiple listing service, and a syndication service). “The duplicates sneak through, and then you have [the same] listing with different prices, listed by different brokers.”

One Massachusetts realtor, Jack Attridge, notes in a letter to Inman News that because homes he’s listed appear on national sites, he’s often contacted by agents and customers well outside his area who have questions about those properties. Most of the time, they have wrong information, and none of those calls, Attridge wrote, have resulted in a sale.

These and other problems hurt realtors reputations and do nothing to sell houses, they say. Abbott argues that inaccurate web listings, combined with side-by-side links to realtors who know little about the property, frustrate potential buyers and may actually drive them to look elsewhere. He studied three years of his firm’s sales data and compared listings that the company didn’t share with national sites versus those they did. “Time after time, the listings that we did syndicate compared with the listings that we didn’t had no better outcomes,” he says. “In fact the ones we didn’t syndicate often sold faster” and closer to the asking price.

Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff has fired back, asserting that an internal company study shows that homes that are in the top 10 percent of page views on Zillow sell more than a month faster than their counterparts in the bottom 10 percent of views and achieve sale prices closer to their asking price. He also says Zillow “invests massive resources in making our listings as accurate as possible.”

Nevertheless, Abbott and a few others have opted out. Minnesota-based Edina Realty fired the first shot in November by announcing they’ll no longer list their data on aggregator sites like Trulia and Realtor. Abbott pulled out on January 27 with a hard-hitting web video announcing his company’s plans. Then on February 6, a bigger player weighed in. Denver-based Metrolist, a multiple-listing service (a member cooperative that realtors jointly buy into that advertises properties locally), announced they’ll no longer allow a Zillow subsidiary to use their data. Some realtors in larger metropolitan areas say they have better local listing service options. “It would only take a few good-sized brokers in every community before these sites either drastically changed how they do business or went away altogether,” says Abbott.

But other industry insiders worry that realtors will lose business by pulling out of the aggregator sites. “All it takes is [brokers who don’t share data] losing a few listings and having a couple of their top-selling agents complain,” Larson says, and “they’ll cave.”

Phoenix realtor Jay Thompson has chosen to continue listing with the sites. “Good luck explaining your decision to not market a listing on high traffic sites,” he writes on his blog. “I can assure you that if a Phoenix area brokerage chooses to do that, then we will use their decision to our advantage.”

Abbott argues the opposite could happen — since he posted his video, he’s had 12 people who were interviewing for an agent to sell their home ask him about his company’s new policy. “We got all 12 of those listings,” he says. Calls to the firm, he says, have “gone through the roof.”

via thefiscaltimes.com
“I have included this post from the Fiscal times earlier this year as it clearly talks about the problem associated with using industry leading apps such as trulia and zillow.  They do a great job presenting data to our clients as they browse local property, but the problem is the data set is usually weeks if not months old and creating a lot of frustration for our clients.  In the very near future we will be providing our clients the latest technology in “REAL TIME” Search that will allow you to download our app or from our website you will be browsing the “LIVE” Multiple Listing Service here in Corpus Christi giving you the very best up to date information that you deserve!  Keep posted to our website for information regarding this in the next few weeks.  Keep smiling… Cheri Sperling”
Filed Under: Corpus Christ Real Estate Data, North Padre Island, Real Time MLS

Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi Breaking Ground by October

September 5, 2012 By

CORPUS CHRISTI — Trailers and heavy equipment will be one of the first indications that dirt is expected to turn soon near the Padre Island Golf Course — the site of a proposed Schlitterbahn water park and resort.

Those could appear as soon as the end of October, said developer Paul Schexnailder, of Asset Development. He briefed the city’s Island Strategic Action Committee Tuesday evening.

“There’s a lot going on that people just don’t see,” he said.

Financial paperwork is being finalized with the bank and the park’s design is being worked through by The Henry family, owners of the water park company. The final design is expected to be complete in the next few weeks. They’re trying to find a way to keep nine holes of the golf course open during construction, Schexnailder said.

The $41 million resort planned west of Park Road 22 is tentatively set to open March 1, 2014, ahead of spring break. Early designs showed the park would include a 65-acre water park with lodging, golf and restaurants. It will be built on the existing golf course and tied into a master plan for the area that includes a marina in Lake Padre, an extension of the residential canal system, hotels, condos and single-family homes on about 500 acres of mostly undeveloped land.

Under a $117 million incentive agreement with the city, Schlitterbahn must begin construction within the next six months and be finished with the first phase by summer 2013. The water park is required to be built two years after the project breaks ground, according to terms of the agreement.

Schlitterbahn is part of a proposed $552 million master plan for the island, which investors Willard Hammonds, Schexnailder and the Henry family are developing.

The entire project is expected to take at least 18 years to build under the incentive agreement with the city, which is for 25 years. Developers are responsible for infrastructure maintenance, such as dredging canals and repairing bulk heads.

The development is expected to generate about $259 million in revenue, after incentives, for the city’s taxing districts, including Del Mar College and Flour Bluff ISD.

A bulk of the tax incentives being offered — $78 million — are from hotel occupancy tax revenue within the area of the planned development. That means most of the incentives being offered rely on the performance of the proposed project, city staff said.

The city also plans to build a $6.8 million bridge along Park Road 22, which would connect Lake Padre to the residential canal system. The City Council has pledged to pay for that project with leftover 2008 bond money. Schexnailder has said it is a critical part of the project’s design because it would create a pedestrian waterfront connection along the canal system.

via caller.com

We are so excited to hear this from the Developers, This news is very big and our islanders are ready for it. Will keep you posted as more news develops ~Cheri

Filed Under: Park Road 22 Proposed Bridge, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi, Uncategorized

Delayed Opening for Schlitterbahn – March 2014

August 8, 2012 By

CORPUS CHRISTI — A delayed opening date for a proposed Schlitterbahn water park resort on Padre Island won’t affect a $117 million incentive agreement signed earlier this year with the city.

The water park is expected to open March 1, 2014, Schlitterbahn co-owner Jeff Henry said. The opening date previously was set for Memorial Day weekend in 2013 but had to be pushed back after delays related to an expansion of the company’s South Padre Island park, he said.

“We didn’t want to push forward with the project to try and meet an unrealistic schedule,” Henry said.

The estimated $41 million resort planned west of Park Road 22 is expected to include a 65-acre water park with lodging, golf and restaurants. It will be built on the existing Padre Isles Golf Course.

Delays to begin construction won’t affect an agreement with the city, which requires the project to break ground nine months after the agreement was signed in May.

Schlitterbahn must begin construction within the next six months and be finished with the first phase by summer 2013. The water park is required to be built two years after the project breaks ground, according to terms of the agreement.

The project is close to breaking ground, Henry said, although he didn’t have an exact date. Last month it was on track with tentative plans to break ground as early as September, developer Paul Schexnailder said.

Many pieces of the project — including financing, design and permits — need to fall into place before construction begins, he said during a previous meeting.

Schlitterbahn is part of a proposed $552 million master plan for the island, which includes a marina in Lake Padre, an extension of the residential canal system, hotels, condos and single-family homes.

Investors Willard Hammonds, Schexnailder and the Henry family that owns the Schlitterbahn Texas water park chain are developing the master plan.

The entire project is expected to take at least 18 years to build under the incentive agreement with the city, which is for 25 years. Developers are responsible for infrastructure maintenance, such as dredging canals and repairing bulk heads.

The development is expected to generate about $259 million in revenue, after incentives, for the city’s taxing districts, including Del Mar College and Flour Bluff ISD.

A bulk of the tax incentives being offered — $78 million — are from hotel occupancy tax revenue within the area of the planned development. That means most of the incentives being offered rely on the performance of the proposed project, city staff said.

The city also plans to build a $6.8 million bridge along Park Road 22, which would connect Lake Padre to the residential canal system. The City Council has pledged that project will be paid for with leftover 2008 bond money. Developers have said it is a critical part of the project’s design because it would create a pedestrian waterfront connection along the canal system. ~ Caller.com

Commentary – “We greatly appreciate the updates to the project thus far.  This is the largest project North Padre Island has ever seen so it’s important that the proper planning is done prior to breaking ground.  The Henry family has always wanted to produce a high quality product and I trust this is the right decision given the unforeseen circumstances delaying there other resort project down south.  We eagerly await the day the shovel hits the sand, Islanders are ready for the changes and we are excited as ever” ~ Cheri Sperling

Filed Under: North Padre Island, Park Road 22 Proposed Bridge, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi Tagged With: , , ,

Corpus Christi Real Estate Market Rebounds Since 2007 Slump!

July 23, 2012 By

CORPUS CHRISTI REAL ESTATE PRICES

Gains in existing home sales and median prices during the past three months have lifted the Coastal Bend’s housing market to its highest levels since the local housing slump began in 2007.
Sales closed between April and June numbered 1,172 units, or about a 19 percent increase compared to the same time in 2011, according to figures from the Corpus Christi Association of Realtors.

The median sales price also has risen by more than 8 percent compared with 2011 to $145,367, figures show.

Housing inventory — measured as the amount of time it would take to sell all available existing homes — has dropped almost by half to 5.6 months in June compared with 10 months in June 2011.

There was a monthly average of about 2,200 homes for resale on the area’s housing market during the period, figures show.

The increased buying activity spans all price ranges, said Char Atnip, a residential Realtor and chairman of the realtors association board.

SEARCH THE MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE IN REAL TIME >>>CLICK HERE

“There’s a lot more people who are looking simply because interest rates are so low and prices have not skyrocketed, and it’s a great time to buy a home,” Atnip said.

New home construction activity has also increased compared to 2011.

In Corpus Christi, data from the city’s Development Services department shows there have been 449 permits issued this year for new residential construction through June, up 61 percent from the first six months of 2011.

The permits have an associated project cost of more than $82 million, figures show.

All but one of those permits is for single-family homes, with one being issued for an eight-unit building.

In all of 2011, the city logged 660 new construction permits for projects totaling more than $118 million

The local figures are similar to momentum building in many areas of the country, with builders beginning to respond to growing buyer interest.

U.S. builders broke ground on the most homes in nearly four years in June, The Associated Press reported this week.

MARKET OUTLOOK

The housing inventory of less than six months is approaching the five-month mark, which is what the area experienced during the housing boom between 2004 and 2006, said Jim Lee, economics professor at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

A normal inventory for the Corpus Christi market is about seven months.

Low inventories typically trigger increased prices as supply dips and demand increases.

Home building can also increase, which is good for local economies, because it generates activity that isn’t exported to other areas, Lee said.

During the area’s most recent housing boom period, construction outpaced the area’s growth rate, which contributed to the slump, Lee said.

Source: Corpus Christi Association of Realtors via Caller Times. Read the original at housing market or housing or home sales, – Google News.

Filed Under: Corpus Christ Real Estate Data, New Homes Padre Island, North Padre Island, Real Time MLS Tagged With: , , , ,

IMPORTANT NEWS FROM PADRE ISLES POA

July 20, 2012 By

UPCOMING ROAD CLOSURES ON WHITECAP

Improvements are being made to equipment at a waste water lift station.  Existing equipment was installed in 1974 and is approaching its useful service life, resulting in multiple repairs in the past year.  The improvements will restore the structural integrity of the line, which should last approximately 50 years.

Phase 1 – Monday, July 23 for approximately 1 week

Eastbound Whitecap traffic will be reduced to one lane as the left lane between

Gypsy and Cruiser will be closed for pipe welding and site preparation.

Phase 2 – Monday, July 30 for approximately 1 week

Eastbound traffic on Whitecap will be shifted onto the westbound lanes between

Cruiser and Barataria.  Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction.

WINDSTORM INSURANCE

You may have read the various articles regarding proposed legislation from the Texas Department of Insurance to divide the fourteen coastal counties based on proximity to the Gulf.   A surcharge to all insurance rates (Windstorm, homeowner policies, automobile policies, boats and RV policies) would cost Island property owners the most, and increase in lesser increments the farther inland you go.

Right now the 14 coastal counties are treated differently than the other 240 counties in Texas.  In the other counties, wind and hail are included in their homeowner’s policy.  It is only in the 14 coastal counties that we have separate windstorm and hail insurance in addition to a homeowner policy which specifically excludes wind and hail.

The other counties have their share of wild fires as well as wind and hail damage. Hurricanes are not the only potential disaster for Texas. We are all Texans and should all be treated equally. The Texas Department of Insurance should develop an equitable and reasonable statewide funding formula that does not target and discriminate against the fourteen coastal counties.

A task force has been created and our local Legislators, Representatives Todd Hunter and Senator Hinojosa are on top of this.  It is time to fix the windstorm insurance problem in Texas.

If you would like to write letters to State officials to ask for this fair and equitable funding formula, please contact our office for addresses or a sample letter.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS:

NO BOARD MEETING FOR JULY – NEXT ONE WILL BE AUGUST 28

LITTER CRITTER WILL BE IN THE POA PARKING LOT ON SATURDAY – JULY 28

Filed Under: North Padre Island, Padre Isles POA
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