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What has SA done in the last 5 years that is so different from CC?
Oh geeze, really?
But first, you made reference to at&t (but called it sbc) leaving SA. That was in no part due to any inadequacies on San Antonio's part. It had to do with the new CEO being from Dallas and wanting to move them there. The former CEO of at&t who grew it from a small regional company into new at&t was adamant that the company would never leave SA while he was CEO. Sadly he the retired and within weeks of the new CEO taking office, he began negotiating with Dallas. It was a lose but more so pride than economically especially once Whataburger moved their HQ here. SA is a great place for companies to be because they can grow. HEB did, Valero has, Clear Channel, USAA, Tesoro etc. Now a new wave of companies are growing like Pocket Wireless, Rackspace, etc.
Now, back to that hilarious statement. I can be mean and simply state that SA has done more in the last five years than Corpus has done in its entire history of existence or I can be civil and simply state, a lot.
I'll compromise. I'll list just ten things off the top of my head that SA has done in the last five years. In no particular order.
1. Averaged top 3 city growth in the entire US.
2. Extended the Riverwalk 1.5 miles. Currently extending it 8 miles to the south.
3. Opened The Shops at La Cantera. (1.3 million square feet of upscale shopping; another 300,000 sq. ft. is planned)
4. Gained over 10,000 new military personnel jobs via BRAC.
5. Gained a new F500 company. (NuStar)
6. Whataburger relocated their HQ to SA.
7. Added about 250,000 new residents to the entire metro area. Basically the city of Corpus was added to the population in the last five years.
8. Toyota opened their plant.
9. Toyota moves their Tacoma production from Cali to SA. (creating more than 2,000 jobs)
10. Ranked number one in job growth and hiring growth.
Seriously, just off the top of my head. I'm missing so much it's not funny.
And SBC packed up their headquarters and moved to Dallas. So what. businesses do what they think is right in order to operate. What has SA done in the last 5 years that is so different from CC? Inadequate town? Moderator cut: see comment
Errrr...
You, yourself said in the beginning of this thread that you were here to debunk ignorant statements -- so why in Bob's name would you even think to ask what SA has done differently in 5 years compared to Corpus? Seriously? Seriously? C'mon now!
Last edited by Bo; 09-12-2009 at 07:38 AM..
Reason: updated quote to match original
But first, you made reference to at&t (but called it sbc) leaving SA. That was in no part due to any inadequacies on San Antonio's part. It had to do with the new CEO being from Dallas and wanting to move them there. The former CEO of at&t who grew it from a small regional company into new at&t was adamant that the company would never leave SA while he was CEO. Sadly he the retired and within weeks of the new CEO taking office, he began negotiating with Dallas. It was a lose but more so pride than economically especially once Whataburger moved their HQ here. SA is a great place for companies to be because they can grow. HEB did, Valero has, Clear Channel, USAA, Tesoro etc. Now a new wave of companies are growing like Pocket Wireless, Rackspace, etc.
Now, back to that hilarious statement. I can be mean and simply state that SA has done more in the last five years than Corpus has done in its entire history of existence or I can be civil and simply state, a lot.
I'll compromise. I'll list just ten things off the top of my head that SA has done in the last five years. In no particular order.
1. Averaged top 3 city growth in the entire US.
2. Extended the Riverwalk 1.5 miles. Currently extending it 8 miles to the south.
3. Opened The Shops at La Cantera. (1.3 million square feet of upscale shopping; another 300,000 sq. ft. is planned)
4. Gained over 10,000 new military personnel jobs via BRAC.
5. Gained a new F500 company. (NuStar)
6. Whataburger relocated their HQ to SA.
7. Added about 250,000 new residents to the entire metro area. Basically the city of Corpus was added to the population in the last five years.
8. Toyota opened their plant.
9. Toyota moves their Tacoma production from Cali to SA. (creating more than 2,000 jobs)
10. Ranked number one in job growth and hiring growth.
Seriously, just off the top of my head. I'm missing so much it's not funny.
That kind of sounds like a lame excuse for AT&T. But if you can say that, then the same could be said about Whataburger. The owner said they would never leave CC. But the year after she dies, the new CEO decides he wants to move and did so in very childish manner. I told the newspaper that the reason he left was because of the current mayor. We were in the middle of an election and he just wanted the opponent to win (me too) and started doing some mudslinging which he should be embarrassed of.
But so what, we lost WB and SA got it. We've moved on. I never doubted that SA has made progress, but so has Corpus Christi. And to compare the two without any sliding scale is just unfair. CC has about 400,000 in the are and SA has about 3 million. Of course SA will look like it's made more progress. But all the items you listed could also be listed for CC, only a smaller scale.
Just in the last 5 or so years:
- Ranked #5 for best places to invest in real estate
- Ranked #1 Digital City 2 years in a row
- Top 20 cities to do business in America
- First city in the US to have a city-wide wi-fi network
- TCPO is building a $1 billion pipe manufacturing plant (creating 600 jobs)
- Global Watt is building solar chip plant (expected to creat 500 jobs)
- Topaz Energy is investing $ billion in a power plant (not sure on jobs)
- Las Brisas (owned by Duke Energy) is building a $3 billion power pland (500-1000 jobs
- CC has built the American Bankk Center
- CC has built Whataburger Field
- CC is constructing a greenbelt / park along the entire seawall (phase 1 almost complete)
- CC is about to redevelop the coliseum are into an mixed use project
- 5 downtown residential projects are either under costruction or finished
- La Palmera is being redeveoped into a first class shopping / entertainment destination with PF Changs, Banana Republic, Grimaldi's, etc.
- $500 million resort is planned for the north beach area
- CC is also looking into a light rail system (but so is everyone in America)
I could also go on. But that's more than enough to prove my point. That is a ridiculous amount of progress for a city the size of Corpus Christi. I think people forget that we don't have 3 million people here. To compare SA to CC is fine, but you have to do so on a proportional scale. Otherwise you're kidding yourself. And even doing so, CC competes pretty well if you ask me. To say that SA has done more in the last 5 years than CC has done in it's existence???? That is the real joke. But whatever helps you get up in the morning.
- Ranked #5 for best places to invest in real estate
It may be but that translates into nothing as far as accomplishments go. When I want to go out for a night on the town, how does this help me at all?
- Ranked #1 Digital City 2 years in a row
You are kidding me right? Because a failed WiFi network, Laughable HDTV implementation (local CBS affiliate still has NO hi-def signal, the FOX channel has no sound, some stations still broadcasting analog OTA), archaic telecom infrastructure... Show me what reputable publication ranked this place as #1 digital city.
I will divert your attention here (http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=82552)
They have electronic parking meters for christ sake!
- Top 20 cities to do business in America
Another 3rd party ranking. Show me hard evidence. I'm sure it's a SAFE place to do business but I would be skeptical about investing here due to the prevalent honeymoon effect where a business will prosper for a short period before the townspeople revert to their tried and trues. And again, I say Whataburger...??
- First city in the US to have a city-wide wi-fi network
This was a complete failure. Bought and paid for by tax dollars, then Earthlink was handed it and virtually abandoned it. It's now dead.
- TCPO is building a $1 billion pipe manufacturing plant (creating 600 jobs)
- Global Watt is building solar chip plant (expected to creat 500 jobs)
- Topaz Energy is investing $ billion in a power plant (not sure on jobs)
- Las Brisas (owned by Duke Energy) is building a $3 billion power pland (500-1000 jobs)
The Pipe plant is outside of Corpus first off, and not even in Nueces County. On top of all that, these are meager additions that really only translate into more of the same. They do virtually nothing to make the area more appealing to professionals (and probably do the opposite).
- CC has built the American Bank Center
What a nice looking building on the bayfront. TOo bad events are too expensive. The only events I've been to there are Islander sports events and two graduations, and that's because they were free.
- CC is constructing a greenbelt / park along the entire seawall (phase 1 almost complete)
Huwha?
- CC is about to redevelop the coliseum are into an mixed use project
The city has partered up with a developer (with no cash mind you) and is making this into a hotel, apartments, and an ice skating rink. Now, thats major progress right there. This could have been so many other fantastic and more progressive things but once again the the small minded podunk strikes again. This will impress nobody.
- 5 downtown residential projects are either under costruction or finished
In the middle of a downtown with nothing there but other bombed out buildings, bums, and empty bars. There needs to be a lively
- La Palmera is being redeveoped into a first class shopping / entertainment destination with PF Changs, Banana Republic, Grimaldi's, etc.
- $500 million resort is planned for the north beach area
I think we know where this is going. Yeah a developer bought the land, but lets see a resort actually get built. See your first item.
- CC is also looking into a light rail system (but so is everyone in America)
Looking into is not synonymous with existing... I'm sure the city has a TON of great ideas. How many come to fruition is the problem.
You are right, and nobody is taking away that Corpus has done some things... As I stated before however, they're only minor frills that offer up only minimal entertainment. Corpus should have had these things 10 years ago and been on to something else more exciting. If someone has lived here their whole life it's easy to see where, being used to all the mediocrity, they might get blinded by a PF Changs and minor league baseball.
Some other things I'm particularly fond of about Corpus...
The first rate news stations and newspaper. Every time I watch the news or read the paper, I get the feeling I'm 90 years old and living in a itty bitty town where a texas rat snake found in someones back yard makes headlines...
Live music here is well. Bad. But of course I won't judge too harshly here becasue of obvious biases. Corpus could be in the running for #1 has-been concert venue in the world.
- Ranked #5 for best places to invest in real estate
It may be but that translates into nothing as far as accomplishments go. When I want to go out for a night on the town, how does this help me at all?
- Ranked #1 Digital City 2 years in a row
You are kidding me right? Because a failed WiFi network, Laughable HDTV implementation (local CBS affiliate still has NO hi-def signal, the FOX channel has no sound, some stations still broadcasting analog OTA), archaic telecom infrastructure... Show me what reputable publication ranked this place as #1 digital city.
I will divert your attention here (http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=82552)
They have electronic parking meters for christ sake!
- Top 20 cities to do business in America
Another 3rd party ranking. Show me hard evidence. I'm sure it's a SAFE place to do business but I would be skeptical about investing here due to the prevalent honeymoon effect where a business will prosper for a short period before the townspeople revert to their tried and trues. And again, I say Whataburger...??
- First city in the US to have a city-wide wi-fi network
This was a complete failure. Bought and paid for by tax dollars, then Earthlink was handed it and virtually abandoned it. It's now dead.
- TCPO is building a $1 billion pipe manufacturing plant (creating 600 jobs)
- Global Watt is building solar chip plant (expected to creat 500 jobs)
- Topaz Energy is investing $ billion in a power plant (not sure on jobs)
- Las Brisas (owned by Duke Energy) is building a $3 billion power pland (500-1000 jobs)
The Pipe plant is outside of Corpus first off, and not even in Nueces County. On top of all that, these are meager additions that really only translate into more of the same. They do virtually nothing to make the area more appealing to professionals (and probably do the opposite).
- CC has built the American Bank Center
What a nice looking building on the bayfront. TOo bad events are too expensive. The only events I've been to there are Islander sports events and two graduations, and that's because they were free.
- CC is constructing a greenbelt / park along the entire seawall (phase 1 almost complete)
Huwha?
- CC is about to redevelop the coliseum are into an mixed use project
The city has partered up with a developer (with no cash mind you) and is making this into a hotel, apartments, and an ice skating rink. Now, thats major progress right there. This could have been so many other fantastic and more progressive things but once again the the small minded podunk strikes again. This will impress nobody.
- 5 downtown residential projects are either under costruction or finished
In the middle of a downtown with nothing there but other bombed out buildings, bums, and empty bars. There needs to be a lively
- La Palmera is being redeveoped into a first class shopping / entertainment destination with PF Changs, Banana Republic, Grimaldi's, etc.
- $500 million resort is planned for the north beach area
I think we know where this is going. Yeah a developer bought the land, but lets see a resort actually get built. See your first item.
- CC is also looking into a light rail system (but so is everyone in America)
Looking into is not synonymous with existing... I'm sure the city has a TON of great ideas. How many come to fruition is the problem.
You are right, and nobody is taking away that Corpus has done some things... As I stated before however, they're only minor frills that offer up only minimal entertainment. Corpus should have had these things 10 years ago and been on to something else more exciting. If someone has lived here their whole life it's easy to see where, being used to all the mediocrity, they might get blinded by a PF Changs and minor league baseball.
Some other things I'm particularly fond of about Corpus...
The first rate news stations and newspaper. Every time I watch the news or read the paper, I get the feeling I'm 90 years old and living in a itty bitty town where a texas rat snake found in someones back yard makes headlines...
Live music here is well. Bad. But of course I won't judge too harshly here becasue of obvious biases. Corpus could be in the running for #1 has-been concert venue in the world.
I've been watching this thread and reading all of the posts... But I cant just watch any longer after reading this...
Wow you are really negative no cigar. At least the city is doing SOMETHING unlike a few years ago. The Brass Plan will be a good addition to downtown, bringing people in for entertainment and shopping. Not only that, there will be a boardwalk next to Magee Beach and will be a nice addition to the aging skyline of CC. This will also attract business downtown. At least the Ice Rays get to go back to the MC.
La Palmera is going to be 3x better than Padre Staples Mall was when it is all said and done. There is no reason to not be excited about PF Changs and Grimaldi's coming to CC. This city has never had any of this before and it only has 290,000 residents.
AA baseball is a big deal for a city of only 290,000 residents. Most cities the size of Corpus only has a single A baseball team or an independent league. SA is the 7th largest city in the U.S. and only has a AA baseball team and only ONE professional sports team. At least CC has two arena football teams and has a good hockey team!
The American Bank Center is a large arena and attracts some big names. Besides, most arenas or venues in any city in America loses money.
Sure downtown isn't an "urban mecca" but it has several restaurants, bars, clubs, and businesses. It also has Shoreline which is beautiful. Its not "dead" like you say. With these new residential developments will come more shopping, restaurants, and attractions downtown to meet the demand. You can't revitalize a central area of a city without people living there!
Yes, they are re-routing shoreline into a 4 lane avenue and replacing the old Shoreline Blvd with green space making the area very pedestrian and bike friendly. This was voted for in the 2008 bond.
All of these manufacturing and other industries are going to help the economic conditions of the city. Regardless if its in the city or not, it is still in the metro area. All of those right there will create an additional 3,000 jobs to the area at least. Keep in mind that is a lot going on for a metro of only 420,000 people.
Sure those ratings may not be by "New York Times" or anything, but regardless it recognizes the city to the whole nation.
You are starting to seem like a very ignorant, hateful, and snobbish person no cigar. Your initial post wasn't bad, but now you are flat out making lies and putting the city below your "standards". If you cant see the city is finally starting to turn things around, you really need to open your eyes. You must be one of those people that posts on the Caller Times complaining about anything the city does. Whether it be good or not. I also assume you opposed the Brass Plan and was in favor for the stupid swim center plan? Go figure.
You are one depressing individual. I don't even know where to begin.
1) Didn't realize you were only interested in going out at night. Because that constitutes a progressive city? What? Okay.
2) you have no idea what you're talking about and still run your mouth. The wi-fi network is not dead. Yes the partnership with Earthlink is done but that was a bad idea to begin with. The city dumped them. The wi-fi network is used every single day by city employees and meter readers and saves the city millions just by the meter reading alone. Plus there are public hotspots that are available to everyone, with more being added monthly. This site will tell you more. www.connectcc.com.
3) Center for Digital Government ranked the city #1 Digital City
There was even a feature artical in Time Magazine regarding the wi-fi network. Or is that a third rate publication to you? Welcome to Wi-Fi-Ville - TIME
4) I'm sorry you can't afford concerts and events at the American Bank Center but how is the Corpus Christi's fault or problem? I didn't realize all that stuff was free in SA. Oh and the streets are made with cotton candy and everybody rides to work on unicorns.
5) Huwah? The greenbelt is part of the bayfront master plan that voters have approved in phases Read the paper...you know the one that just has stories about "Texas Rat Snake found in someone's yard" as you put it. You know there's more to the paper than the front page. It helps if you actually open it.
6) So the coliseum development is not progress? but SA adding 1.5 miles to the river walk is? I want to know what your rating scale is for this stuff. Because it's hilarious. Oh, and the development company produced proof of fianancing. They do have money and that's why the city chose them. You can read all the info. on the city website cctexas.com under the government section. It's all public information and the city council special session meeting was televised.
7) So SA has a lightrail system now? I didn't realize that.
8) only reason I mentioned La Palmera is because you metioned La Cantera in SA. It's sad for a city that size to be excited over something so mediocre. It's a mall. Who cares???!!
9) So Toyota opening a plant and creating jobs is somehow better than the Global Watt and TCPO and Las Brisas and Topaz Energy in CC?. Jobs are jobs. And these are high paying ones too. The pipe company plant is only a few miles from the city CC officials played a huge part in bringing it. It's actually going on Port of Corpus Christi land which legally CC property. That's why I listed it.
You know, again, I don't care if you hate Corpus Christi or dislike it, but what do you gain out of saying false things about it and speaking so passionately about stuff you seem to know nothing about? Educate yourself on some of these issues rather than just taking what you hear at school or at work and automatically thinking those are facts.
My last post was obviously in response to no cigar. Forgot to address that.
Thanks for backing me up GabeTX. Agree with everything you just said.
The only thing holding CC back is people like no cigar who trash everything and live their lives with the "grass is always greener" mentality. That makes for a very sad life because people like that will be unhappy wherever they end up.
That kind of sounds like a lame excuse for AT&T. But if you can say that, then the same could be said about Whataburger. The owner said they would never leave CC. But the year after she dies, the new CEO decides he wants to move and did so in very childish manner. I told the newspaper that the reason he left was because of the current mayor. We were in the middle of an election and he just wanted the opponent to win (me too) and started doing some mudslinging which he should be embarrassed of.
at&t's new CEO had a home in Dallas (as well as SA), he grew up in Dallas. He wanted the company in Dallas. There's no other way to explain it. He opened up secretive talks with the city of Dallas a couple of weeks into his taking over. The city of SA didn't find out until it was announced, there was no "SA couldn't match this or that so we're leave" event, it was the Baltimore Colts move.
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But so what, we lost WB and SA got it. We've moved on. I never doubted that SA has made progress, but so has Corpus Christi. And to compare the two without any sliding scale is just unfair. CC has about 400,000 in the are and SA has about 3 million. Of course SA will look like it's made more progress. But all the items you listed could also be listed for CC, only a smaller scale.
I wasn't trying to make it a pissing match, your condescending "what has SA done in the last five years" comment is what got my attention. It would be like me basically saying: "What has NY/LA/Chicago done in the last 5 years."
Quote:
Just in the last 5 or so years:
- Ranked #5 for best places to invest in real estate
- Ranked #1 Digital City 2 years in a row
- Top 20 cities to do business in America
- First city in the US to have a city-wide wi-fi network
- TCPO is building a $1 billion pipe manufacturing plant (creating 600 jobs)
- Global Watt is building solar chip plant (expected to creat 500 jobs)
- Topaz Energy is investing $ billion in a power plant (not sure on jobs)
- Las Brisas (owned by Duke Energy) is building a $3 billion power pland (500-1000 jobs
- CC has built the American Bankk Center
- CC has built Whataburger Field
- CC is constructing a greenbelt / park along the entire seawall (phase 1 almost complete)
- CC is about to redevelop the coliseum are into an mixed use project
- 5 downtown residential projects are either under costruction or finished
- La Palmera is being redeveoped into a first class shopping / entertainment destination with PF Changs, Banana Republic, Grimaldi's, etc.
- $500 million resort is planned for the north beach area
- CC is also looking into a light rail system (but so is everyone in America)
6 of those ten are either meaningless rankings (some of which make no sense) or commercial construction developments most of which are proposed.
I posted no meaningless rankings (I could have, many) and only one commercial construction development (the shops) which honestly was only because I just picked 10 random things from my head. If I wanted to, I could have posted The Rim development which is on 800 acres, and has 1.7 of the 2 million square feet of retail already built with the final 300,000 under construction.
Speaking of some of those developments, you should really look into Brass, if you really think they're going to build that development then good for you, but we in SA have bought their bridge in Antarctica once too many times. They are company that has very little funding for new projects and have stiffed more partners than should be legally allowed.
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I could also go on. But that's more than enough to prove my point. That is a ridiculous amount of progress for a city the size of Corpus Christi.
It really isn't, aside from the sports venues which a city that size should have, there are places with much much smaller city populations that are doing just as much if not more and they're actually getting stuff built, not just proposed or planned.
As for light rail, sure every city wants it and wants to plan for it but SA is actually planning for it and there's funding for the first line. CC has terrible bus service, maybe they should take care of that before trying to think about light rail. Anyway, where would the funding come from for light rail? Can CC even support it?
Quote:
I think people forget that we don't have 3 million people here. To compare SA to CC is fine, but you have to do so on a proportional scale. Otherwise you're kidding yourself. And even doing so, CC competes pretty well if you ask me.
I agree, I'm not going to tell someone from New York what have they done in the last 5 years, heck, not even Dallas or Houston.
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To say that SA has done more in the last 5 years than CC has done in it's existence???? That is the real joke. But whatever helps you get up in the morning.
I said that jokingly but in all honesty, if you took off the rose colored glasses, you'd actually see that it's a pretty accurate statement. I have business friends in the CC area and believe me, I know more about what's going on in CC than you'd think. A lot more. What has happened in the last 5 years with regards to the development of the city just blows out of the water whatever CC tries to offer as a comparison. I mean that not as a slight but as a reality.
Look, I never wanted to turn this thread ugly, I get that you're pissed off that people are always bashing and ragging on Corpus whether rightfully or unrightfully so. That was never my intention, I simply responded to that comment mentioned before and just wanted to offer a third person non-biased view.
8) only reason I mentioned La Palmera is because you metioned La Cantera in SA. It's sad for a city that size to be excited over something so mediocre. It's a mall. Who cares???!!
I mentioned La Cantera, not him.
Again, only doing so because I just picked the first 10 things that entered my mind. I could have listed 50 if I wanted to and still forget a bunch of stuff.
Listing The Shops at La Cantera was because it adds to the quality of life for people in San Antonio. That's a great development for SA, as it helps attract businesses and employees.
I could have listed SA getting the Cyber Command HQ, I could have mentioned the growth at the Medical Center, I could have mentioned TPC
San Antonio, I could have mentioned the Hemisfair Park redevelopment, I could have mentioned UTSA getting D-I football, I could have mentioned SA getting a new four year University (A&M-San Antonio), I could have mentioned the Linear Creekway and Parks Greenbelt under construction. I could have mentioned Caterpillars plant relocation to Seguin.
I could have mentioned anyone of those things instead of the Shops, but again, the first ten things that entered my mind and I typed down.
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