The sounds of construction once again compete with the cries of sea gulls as crews get back to work at Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi. Officials say the Boogie Bahn surfing simulator, The Chute log ride and 30 of the 90 hotel rooms should be ready in time for summer. A swim up bar and kiddie pool are already open.
Work stopped last fall after several missed grand opening deadlines when money problems stopped the cash flow. Nine contractors filled liens against the property for $730,000 in labor and construction materials that were not paid. Once the city extended the completion date to September 30 for phase one of the project, work was able to continue. Extending the agreement freed up lines of credit, allowing bills to be paid and work to go on.
Covering 574 acres on North Padre Island, Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi has doubled in size and scope since its groundbreaking in February 2013. As the blueprints changed, deadlines for opening came and went throughout last summer.
With liens paid off, Schlitterbahn held a party in March for vendors and contractors, including those who filed suit. The party was to thank all the companies for sticking with the project, said owner Jeff Henry. Henry owns waterparks in New Braunfels, Galveston, South Padre Island and Kansas City.
Schlitterbahn Corpus Christi is expected to draw around 300,000 visitors a year. The much anticipated project brings with it concerns over traffic on South Padre Island Drive and the intersection at Commodores Drive and Compass Street.
“You’re going to need more than a right-hand lane to turn into Schlitterbahn,” State Representative Todd Hunter told Corpus Christi Business News in a December interview about issues he would be working on in 2015. “I’ve been working with transportation statewide to get lighting and to expand the highway to ease congestion there.”