The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center now owns its home in Mount Vernon Park after the park was sold to La Palmera. A requirement of the sale was to guarantee the Corpus Christi Area Council for the Deaf was not forced out. Photo by Carrie Robertson Meyer/Third Coast Photo
Corpus Christi made more than $2 million on the recent sale of two parks. The city council approved the sale last month. Six other parks were sold in April, while a neighborhood group saved a seventh for its community.
The most recent park sold, Mount Vernon at 5151 McArdle, went to Corpus Christi Retail Venture (La Palmera) and Corpus Christi Area Council for the Deaf for $1.7 million. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Center has leased 1½ acres of the 6.3-acre park for years. It will now own the property outright with help from a silent partner.
Working out a deal to keep the center in its home was part of the arrangement with La Palmera, according to the city council. As for what La Palmera wants to do, nothing has been announced. A zoning change will be necessary to use the land for anything other than a park.
The second park sold, Fountain Park at 4938 Moody, went to Seaside Builders, LLC for $70,000.
Another of the parks set for sale was recently removed from the list. A neighborhood group saved Ridgewood Park at Malden Drive near Holly Road on the Southside. The group of about 60 people agreed to take over maintenance of the 5.4 acres with a concession by the city council to go easy on the mowing requirements during the fall. Other details are being ironed out as the neighborhood prepares to take charge.
Previously sold parks include:
• Acushnet Park, 9.96 acres at 6746 Aaron Drive, MVR Construction Co., $655,000;
• Cabra Park, 1.36 acres at 1323 W. Broadway St., Darla-1, Ltd., $24,000
• Durant Park, 2.70 acres at 6113 Durant Drive, MVR Construction Co., $130,000
• Parklane Park, 1.95 acres at Arlene Drive and Mount Vernon Drive, Albert Ayala and Roberto Cardenas, $121,000
• Peary Park, 1 acre at 1750 Paul Jones Ave., 4625 No. 3, Ltd., Texas limited partnership, $36,000
• Willow Park, 0.93 acre at 11418 Willowood Creek Drive, Martin and Gaby Sada, $50,000
Still up for sale are:
Northwest San Carlos Park, 2 acres at 12650 Figueroa
Violet Park, 1.55 acres at 4301 Violet
Congress Park, 1.96 acres at 4017 Capitol
Creekway Park, 0.89 acre at 7306 Prairie
Penn Place, 1.67 acres at 4302 Aaron
The parks went on the block two years ago after voters approved a ballot measure to dispose of the land. The Clower Co. was hired by the city to facilitate the sale.
