On November 5, 2013 the voters of Corpus Christi voted against the bond

proposal Destination Bayfront. After doing research for this paper and learning

about the proposal I disagree with the election results. I think that Destination

Bayfront is just what the city of Corpus Christi needs and feel that the benefits of

Destination Bayfront out weigh the cons.

Destination Bayfront was a proposed plan to dramatically up grade the thirty

four acre area along the Corpus Christi Bayfront just south of the downtown area.

The proposal included building a large park that would be sectioned off into nine

different areas with lots of shade and parking. Some of the areas were to include a

boarkwalk along the seawall, a play area for children, improved beach access to

McGee Beach, large family areas, a dog park, an area for restaurants and shops, a

great lawn for festivals and concerts, and a memorial park for the veterans of

Corpus Christi.

“You may have been an avid supporter; you may have been a vocal detractor.

All things considered, one thing is for certain; Destination Bayfront looked to be a

game changer for the Costal Bend” (QTD. Jimmy Willden, The Heart of Our City).

The site where the Memorial Coliseum once stood had garnered a lot of attention

over the years as both private and public ventures alike put bids for their vision of

what this site could become. In the end, deed restrictions that were put in place in

the 1930s limited the usage of some of the land along the bayfront. The former

coliseum site falls under these restrictions, limiting the sites usage solely to

government or ornamental purposes. Simply, it can be a park and with the fall of

many of the proposed ideas for the site, one continued forth and evolved not only

into a particular vision for a particular site along Corpus Christi’s bayfront, but also

into a vision for the future of downtown Corpus Christi and the Costal Bend (Willden).

The proposed plan was to build the park in two separate phases in order to

spread the cost out over time. The cost for the building of both phases of the

project was estimated to be $69 million. The first phase of the project totaling $53.3

million and with $8.7 million in additional funding, the bond proposal that went to

vote was for $44.6 million. In order to build the second phase of the park the cost

was going to be $15 million and be through privately raised funds, the $44.6 million

would not be released until the $15 million was raised. What the bond would cost

tax payers is in general a $23 year for every $100,000 of taxable property value. So

if your home is valued at $50,000, you pay approximately $12 more a year or under

$1 a month. Corpus Christi residents over the age of 65 will see zero increase in

their taxes, by virtue of tax exemptions allowed to senior citizens. In addition, other

exemptions apply; for example the disabled veterans exemptions (Desination Bayfront.org).
The cost of Destination Bayfront was a