CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The City Council today was supposed to vote on a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone for North Beach, but that vote has been put on hold.
The TIRZ is the financial mechanism behind the plan to create a new funding source for developing the North Beach area.
Developer Jeff Blackard wants to dig a canal across North Beach to fix flooding problems there. Blackard says if there's no TIRZ his canal project is dead.
He sees the canal as the centerpiece of a Riverwalk style attraction on North Beach.
North Beach Task Force President and county commissioner Carolyn Vaughn is not happy about the TIRZ vote delay.
"Why would you do that?" she said. "It's cover for the council members that don't want to have to speak against it out front. and they have delayed and delayed this project."
The city's business liaison says action on the North Beach TIRZ could come next month.
