CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — After some delays, construction is picking up on the building of a new grocery store and restaurants on Padre Island. Those businesses are being built on a strip of land on Park Road 22.
When the project is finished, it'll be a 20,000 sq.-ft. strip center, called the Balli Center. It'll have enough space for retail and restaurants including IGA grocery store, Hardknocks Sports Grill, Domino's Pizza theater, Supercuts and another restaurant.
It's the grocery store many island residents are excited about. When it's built, it will be the island's first one.
Currently, the closest grocery store is the H-E-B Plus! in Flour Bluff, which is about five miles away. Plus, drivers have to drive on the JFK Causeway to get to there, which can be busy at times.
That's why many island residents are excited for construction to be completed.
"Once this is open, that (driving over the bridge) comes to an end," said island resident Jonathan Wood. "It's a gamechanger for us, so we're looking forward to it. It's going to be great."
Mohsin Rasheed, the project developer, says construction of the Balli Center is expected to wrap up by March 2020.
