The Outlets of Corpus Christi Bay is now the Crossroads District and has been rezoned for mixed use that could include business and industrial along with retail. The property is located in Robstown and under new ownership. Courtesy photo
By Jane Kathleen Gregorio
CORRECTION: The Crossroads District will not include residential as stated in the original article. The former outlet mall has been rezoned to include commerical business and industrial. CCBizNews.com regrets the error.
Now under new ownership, the Crossroads District, formerly Outlets of Corpus Christi Bay, has a new purpose and name that expands the former retail-only space to include commercial businesses and industrial. British Columbia-based real estate investment firm Stonewater Properties renamed the outlets to open more opportunities for 300,000 square feet of space.
“The prior name was misleading because the Outlets were neither in Corpus Christi nor on the Bay,” said Tiffany Ritchie, property and leasing manager of Stonewater Properties.
The Crossroads District name is a nod to Robstown’s nickname as “the Crossroads of South Texas.” It is located at major highway and railroad junctions.
Instead of marketing solely to out-of-town shoppers, Stonewater Properties takes into consideration how people who live in the Robstown area would prefer to use the space.
“Our company is making the local and regional community first priority,” Ritchie continued. “We aren’t just property managers; we are partners in helping local businesses flourish."
Nine buildings make up the Crossroads District. Spaces are diverse and range from office and retail suites to halls as large as 20,000 square feet.
“As it was built in 2015 and opened in 2017, the construction is virtually brand new,” Ritchie said. “It's a beautiful property and sits at the junction of (Interstate) 69 and U.S. 77 and (Texas) 44, with lots of traffic from the Rio Grande Valley to San Antonio passing daily.”
Stonewater Properties recently filed a zoning change request, which was approved by the city of Robstown in January, transforming it from the Outlets' previous 75 percent retail and 25 percent office zoning to mixed use.
“Our vision is to create a multi-use space with mixed zoning to welcome all types of companies, from professional, medical, educational, hospitality, and even municipal organizations,” Ritchie said. “We don’t want to turn anyone away, especially firms that will generate jobs and growth for the community.”
The ample parking lot of Crossroads District is currently being used as overflow parking for COVID-19 vaccine distribution at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds. Ritchie imagines it can also hold large entertainment events.
"We want Crossroads District to be an entertainment destination and would love to host an annual music festival that won’t conflict with other amazing local events like Cottonfest in Robstown or Buc Days in Corpus Christi,” she said.
Food could be another draw for local and out-of-town customers.
“There is a lack of sit-down restaurants in Robstown,” Ritchie continued. “And while food trucks and drive-through places are plentiful, the climate here is pretty hot. Sometimes, people just want to sit down and enjoy a good meal indoors with air conditioning and not have to drive to Corpus Christi for that.”
New landscaping with native plants and other minor renovations are underway.
“We want people to visit the Crossroads District to gather and hang out, even if they don't plan on buying anything,” Ritchie said.
Recently, Robstown was designated as a Federal Opportunity Zone, which opens up options for new businesses.
“There’s a perfect storm of positive things happening simultaneously in this region,” Ritchie said. “Our hope is to find a way for all of that to coalesce into something really extraordinary.”
Crossroads District is located at 500 U.S. 77 North (Interstate 69 East) in Robstown. For more information, contact tiffany@stonewaterproperties.com or call 361-585-0300.
