It's been at least nine months since city leaders unveiled their ambitious Marina Master Plan, aimed at revitalizing the city’s waterfront.
Marina Manager, Johnathan Atwood, confirmed that construction is underway on docks A, B, C, D, and L, along with repairs to the Peoples Street Boardwalk. Those projects are part of Phase 1 of the city’s long-range waterfront improvement strategy.
"We’re looking at 80 years of development down here to what you see today,” Atwood said. “The Master Plan looked at more of a long-term scope.”
As part of that vision, dredging is ongoing in the marina basin, and repairs have begun at Cooper’s L-Head, including the replacement of floating boat ramps and plans to resurface that section of the marina.
“Additionally, we’ve got the replacement of the Cooper’s Boating Facility, on Cooper’s L-Head and the resurfacing of that L-Head. We’re also replacing the two floating boat ramps on the Cooper’s L-Head," Atwood added.
Looking ahead, he said the city plans to replace the aging haul-out facility across from the Corpus Christi Yacht Club and relocate marina offices to a new structure as part of a broader upgrade.
However, several standout features originally presented in the August 2024 version of the plan including a pedestrian swing bridge, a community sailing center, and expanded retail space and restaurants, have not yet been confirmed as part of the next development phase.
“You know, we’ve discussed 5, 10, 15 year plans,” Atwood said. “Ultimately, we’re looking at amenities that will support the public, support people coming down here and enjoying the bayfront and the marina.”
KRIS 6 News first reported on the Marina Master Plan when it was initially introduced to community members back in August 2024. City leaders promoted it as vision to enhance accessibility, boost tourism, and reconnect the marina with downtown Corpus Christi.
We're told the original estimated cost to the plan would be around $220 million.
Now, with ongoing design revisions and rising costs for equipment and materials, Atwood said the final price tag and project timeline are still uncertain. He added the city will utilize Type A funding, as well as other available budgets for the improvements.
Atwood says the marina team continues to work closely with developers to finalize the next phase of the design before presenting to city council for final approval.
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