Horrible news for the city of Corpus Christi... (Houston, Dallas: leases, quality of life)

[gabetx]

Originally Posted by bb54321

Whataburger leaving is definitely a blow to the city's ego but life goes on. I think the city will survive just fine. As for the refineries, if you enter the city from the north, over the harbor bridge, it's really quite beautiful. The refineries coming in on I-37 are such a small part of what the city has to offer once you get there. Look at the ghetto we go through when cc residents drive to San antonio. Mobile homes galore. It doesn't keep anyone from going there. As long as the city continues to move residents away from the refineries, they are fine as is. Just need larger buffer around them. They provide a lot of high paying jobs.

Very good point. I just wish the city wasn't so anti-growth.

[bb54321]

Originally Posted by gabetx

Very good point. I just wish the city wasn't so anti-growth.

You mean was anti-growth. I thinks there's been some major changes among the attitudes of the citizens and elected officials in the last few years. Bond elections are passing like never before, council keeps giving tax incentives. Stuff is finally beginning to happen.

[Bowie]

The San Antonio forum began discussing this about a week ago.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/san-a...r-hq-here.html

There seem to be two main reasons that the Whataburger folks cited as motivating their move:

They wanted to be in a city with better air service, to facilitate travel to the various markets the company serves.

They were fearful that Corpus could end up offline for weeks, like Galveston did, if it were to be subject to a direct hit from a major hurricane. Now that gulf hurricanes seem to be a more regular occurrence, they felt this was a major concern that justified moving their company a few hundred miles inland.

IMO, the editorial writer at the link in the OP professed to be reading between the lines, but drew a convenient conclusion when s/he said the following...

"Yes, but one can't help but read between the lines. Corpus Christi has lost these corporate headquarters at least in part because the city's overall quality of life has deteriorated,"

I don't see how that applies to anything that the Whataburger folks have said publicly. Quality of life in Corpus may be the centerpiece of the newspaper's agenda, but it doesn't seem to be a publicly expressed concern of folks at Whataburger.

If Corpus wants to fix something to prevent this from happening again, maybe it needs to work on improving its airport and including its corporate citizens in its hurricane disaster planning?

[Scarface713]

The hurricane thing was just pure BS. This move was on the CEO's own ambition. If the hurricane thing was really a case, then companies would already be up and out of Houston-Galveston as well as Miami, etc. The current CEO has no ties to Corpus I'm guessing.

[gabetx]

Originally Posted by bb54321

You mean was anti-growth. I thinks there's been some major changes among the attitudes of the citizens and elected officials in the last few years. Bond elections are passing like never before, council keeps giving tax incentives. Stuff is finally beginning to happen.

Even then, the outlet mall and Crosstown Commons are both "delaying" the construction on the projects due to the current state of the US economy. Which is funny because Texas is the opposite opposed to the rest of the US in economy. Also, It doesn't make sense when businesses say they are weary of expanding at this point in time when all of these places are popping up everywhere like weeds in the yard in any other Texas city. San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Ft. Worth, El Paso, even Laredo and McAllen are seeing major growth. But Corpus, A new 100 home neighborhood pops up about once every 4-12 months or so. Just a couple of apartment complexes and a couple of buildings being renovated downtown. Thats not major growth. Its just slugging along. For example, lets compare Corpus to other cities its size.

These are rounded off and the current ones of course are estimates...

Amarillo:173,000 people in 2000. Roughly 190,000 people in 2006.

Brownsville: 140,000 people in 2000. Approximately 180,000 people in 2007.

Killeen: 87,000 people in 2000. 113,000 people in 2006.

Laredo: roughly 178,000 people in 2000. Estimated 212,000 people in 2007.

Lubbock: 199,000 people in 2000. Roughly 220,000 people estimated in 2006.

McAllen: 106,000 people in 2000. Around 130,000 people in 2007.

Then there is Corpus Christi: 278,000 people in 2000. And now there are 286,000 people in 2007. Wow! A whole 8,000 people. There hasn't been anything new in this city for years.... Since Whataburger Field and the American Bank Center. Other then that there is a Walgreens here, a few fast food restaurants there, a gas station or two, and other then that. Nothing. I bet you more than anything if not both Crosstown Commons and the outlet deals at least one will end up backing out or falling through for one reason or another. And I bet how TxDot is planning on connecting the Crosstown Expressway with the Harbor Bridge and building a new harbor bridge. I bet you that wont happen either. I also bet there wont be a new light industrial, (which is dumb anyways because we dont need anymore industry in this city. they should make it mixed use of lofts and businesses or a large park around downtown. Or maybe even a shopping corridor or something. Not a freaking industrial park.), park along that proposed stretch of highway on the northside. It will just stay "The Cut".

Corpus will continue to grow slow unless something really big happens. Whether it be Crosstown Commons, or the outlet mall, or even the Harbor Bridge connecting with the Crosstown Expressway with whatever they want to do with the land around it. Or whether it be a revitalization of downtown or U.S. 77 turning into the I-69 corridor, something big has to happen for this city to even see any real growth. Nothing will ever get past the Oso Creek except a neighborhood or two. I don't even think CC will hit 300,000 by 2015. Maybe 2020 or 2025. I wouldn't be surprised to even see it become an urban decay like Detroit is becoming or Buffalo.

But right now, the city is not really growing like the rest of Texas. Corpus will just be left behind and be forgotten like it already is pretty much.

[Scarface713]

Well this "Crosstown Commons" development isn't the only retail development being stalled in Corpus, so don't feel like every other city in Texas is building everything that is being proposed. Growth will come Corpus.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by Angel713

The hurricane thing was just pure BS. This move was on the CEO's own ambition. If the hurricane thing was really a case, then companies would already be up and out of Houston-Galveston as well as Miami, etc. The current CEO has no ties to Corpus I'm guessing.

If the CEO is the same guy as 5 years ago, he lives in Austin but commutes to Corpus. If he wanted to move it for truly personal reasons, they'd be going to Austin not San Antonio.

[awecelot]

Originally Posted by Bowie

If Corpus wants to fix something to prevent this from happening again, maybe it needs to work on improving its airport and including its corporate citizens in its hurricane disaster planning?

The problem is the airport. A new terminal opened in 2002. Here's a small article about it: Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP/KCRP), TX - Airport Technology

Note that during the renovation/construction of the new terminal, the gates in use were the following:

Gate 5 - Southwest
Gate 7 - Austin Express
Gates 11,12,13 - Continental Express, Delta Connection
Gate 15 - Continental (yes, the big jets)
Gate 16 - American Eagle

So, with 7 gates in operation, the article tells us that "In 2000 the single terminal building (Terminal B), which was over 40 years old, was over loaded and the facilities it offered were below par."

Overloaded with 7 gates...yet the terminal they built only has 6 gates and (correct me on this if I am wrong, Corpus people) 4 airline ticket counters. Yes, they did put in a new baggage claim, but that was the only "expansion" done. Now, they don't need that new baggage claim, as they can't even keep the 6 gates fully filled. ExpressJet and Delta Connection have recently left town. Continental stopped servicing Corpus with the big jets sometime around the time the new terminal opened.

But not only that...this happened in 2002. This student paper from Texas Tech University made the case that the city needed a new airport terminal in 1981! Not only that, it also notes that CC airport officials should work to position the airport as a link between major US cities and cities in Northern Mexico. If an architecture student at TTU saw that in 1981, it amazes me that it took the city until 2002 to "upgrade" the airport, and that they still have yet to see how to manage it.

http://etd.lib.ttu.edu/theses/availa...5007968398.pdf

[Scarface713]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

If the CEO is the same guy as 5 years ago, he lives in Austin but commutes to Corpus. If he wanted to move it for truly personal reasons, they'd be going to Austin not San Antonio.

The reason is definitely not hurricanes. I can tell you that. The reasons Whataburger is moving to San Antonio are pretty much the same reason why AT&T (a much larger and more important company) moved to Dallas.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by Angel713

The reason is definitely not hurricanes. I can tell you that. The reasons Whataburger is moving to San Antonio are pretty much the same reason why AT&T (a much larger and more important company) moved to Dallas.

It's not air service either. SA has pathetic direct flight destinations compared to AUS, DAL, & HOU.

Most likely it boils down to that they can't find qualified employees in Corpus and can't get people to move there. They're just being nice with the excuses.