Eagle Ford play spurs growth in Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI – The Corpus Christi regional economy has been pushed into overdrive with the South Texas oil boom, which is resulting mainly from the Eagle Ford Shale play. The main area of Eagle Ford is located about 90 miles to the north, but the impact to the Corpus Christi economy is tremendous.

The Port of Corpus Christi is at the center of this growth, with billions of dollars foreign and domestic being spent on projects throughout the Port and the area. Several projects are bringing workers and money into the economy.

With the industrial growth, retail growth is also expected, and 2013 was indeed a strong year for Corpus Christi. The most prominent new project is the redevelopment of the former Staples Center into the prestigious Shops at La Palmera.

Meanwhile, Corpus Christi Bay Outlet Mall broke ground in July 2013 on their new project, which will be located in Robstown at the fairgrounds area.

The entertainment and tourism subsector is seeing growth too. A $40 million Schlitterbahn water park is under construction on North Padre Island and is scheduled to open for this coming spring/summer season.

Throughout 2014 the market is expected to remain strong for new and existing retailers.