Nearly two years after Mayor Paulette Guajardo announced Bass Pro Shops' potential expansion to Corpus Christi, city council members are seeking answers about the project's status.
Three council members — Eric Cantu, Carolyn Vaughn, and Gil Hernandez — have requested a formal update on the project, listed as Item 25 on the July 28, 2026 Corpus Christi City Council agenda.
Guajardo revealed the outdoor retail giant had selected Corpus Christi as an expansion site during a special news conference on Oct. 16, 2024 — just five days before early voting began. The announcement came after what she described as two years of confidential negotiations under a strict non-disclosure agreement.
"It's a long time in the making," Guajardo said at the time, explaining that the project could create hundreds of jobs and serve as a significant economic development initiative for the community.
The timing of the original announcement raised eyebrows, coming so close to the start of early voting in 2024. At that October news conference, Guajardo emphasized the potential economic impact of bringing the first Bass Pro Shops location to the Coastal Bend region. The nearest existing stores are located more than 135 miles away in Harlingen and San Antonio.
"This would bring more consumers to any business Downtown or across the city, for that matter. It's a win for everybody," Guajardo said during the 2024 announcement.
The mayor highlighted Bass Pro Shops' track record of community investment, noting that the company has consistently reinvested more than 10% of its earnings back into local economies to support conservation efforts over the past decade.
With nearly two years having passed since the initial announcement, the lack of visible progress appears to have prompted council members to seek clarity on where the project stands. The July 28 council meeting will mark the first formal discussion of the Bass Pro Shops project since Guajardo's initial announcement.
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