The Bob Hall Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Hanna in 2020 and is not expected to be rebuilt until 2026.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Business is brisk at our county's RV parks. Demand is so high that Nueces County Coastal Parks Director Scott Cross said reservations at Padre Bari on Padre Island and IB Magee Beach in Port Aransas won't be available until next year.
“Right now we're fully booked and have no openings until March of next year, which is why business is good right now,” Cross said.
Funds to be used for operating expenses next year.
“Typically we're operating at about 67 percent, we offset that with our operating budget and we get 33 percent from the general fund. I think we'll surpass that number this year. Business is very strong,” he said.
Cross also told 3NEWS that the surge in bookings at the RV park has helped it make up for some of the revenue lost when Bob Hall Pier was closed after Hurricane Hana.
“We're losing at least $235,000 a year in take-home benefits,” he said.
Thanks to a $7.5 million BP oil spill grant, construction will begin by next February on two RV parks in the county, doubling their size.
3NEWS spoke with Margie Broomall, a tourist from Bandera at IB Magee Beach, who said she's been bringing her kids here for years and now she's bringing her grandkids, too. Margie was excited to hear about the expansion plans.
“Wow, that's amazing because it seems to be full all the time now,” she said. “It wasn't full before the hurricane, so that's really good. I love the way they set it up.”
This expansion will allow more visitors to continue to take advantage of these facilities and spend their holidays there, and will help offset all the money we have lost every year since 2020 due to the Bob Hall Pier being closed.
