CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nearly 2 years after Corpus Christi leaders announced Bass Pro Shops was coming to town, there is still no store, no construction, and no timeline.
City council members demanded answers Tuesday on the status of the project, sparking a tense exchange between Mayor Paulette Guajardo and Councilman Eric Cantu.
Cantu accused the mayor of using the original Bass Pro Shops announcement as a political stunt during her re-election campaign. Guajardo pushed back, saying the project is still active.
City staff told council members they remain in contact with developers as they search for the right property. But Cantu questioned that explanation, saying the city is talking to contractors, not Bass Pro Shops corporate.
"My personal opinion, I don't think they're coming. We aren't even talking to corporate, we're talking to a consultant and 2 years? They should have already found something," Cantu said.
Councilwoman Carolyn Vaughn also raised concerns, asking how a city the size of Corpus Christi still hasn't found a suitable site.
"But it's odd to me that after 2 years they haven't found a piece of land, we're not that big. So I don't know if they've just stalled or if they're going to come back later," Vaughn said.
City staff said the challenge is finding property that meets Bass Pro Shops' needs at the right price.
"I think they are looking at several pieces of land. I don't know if they are finding the perfect piece of land for them at the price that they want," city staff said.
Not every council member was sold on the idea. Councilwoman Kaylynn Paxson said she is concerned a large national retailer could hurt locally owned businesses in her district.
"And something like this, I'm not saying it's a bad company, I'm not saying it's a bad brand, I'm not saying I don't like it. But it could quickly, depending on where it's located, cannibalize those small businesses and that's a concern for me in district 4," Paxson said.
Some Corpus Christi residents said they are still hoping the retailer comes to town.
"I would love to see a Bass Pro come to Corpus because I go fishing and hunting all the time and they have everything you need," Charles said.
"That would be so amazing, we live right by the bay and I'm sure all the dads would love it. I mean, my dad would love that, he goes fishing every weekend," Jackie said.
The city says it continues to work with developers, but there is still no timeline for when — or if — a Bass Pro Shops will open in Corpus Christi.
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