Corpusfishing.com

[GinMan]

A new vision for a Padre Island resort could come together by this summer after a major landowner works with the community that thwarted his first plan.

Paul Schexnailder has hired a Florida consulting company to work with Corpus Christi residents to help determine the best use for his property. The four-part process includes working with focus groups and conducting an economic analysis.

Schexnailder had planned for a company to build a $1.5 billion development -- with condos, hotels, shops and restaurants -- on his land south of Packery Channel. That fell through after Corpus Christi voters in November 2006 rejected a proposed vehicle ban on 7,200 feet of beach from the channel's south jetty to the border of Padre Balli Park.

Schexnailder had said before the vote that if the vehicle ban was rejected, he likely would sell his land in parcels and less-desirable piecemeal development would result. He since has auctioned 58 lots but retained most of his property.

He controls property stretching roughly from the south bank of Packery Channel toward Bob Hall Pier. Schexnailder's ownership already has affected the island significantly and what he does with the property could change it profoundly.

He pushed successfully for the dredging project that opened Packery Channel as a viable water path to the Gulf of Mexico for pleasure boats. The channel and the boat access it provides was seen as the missing ingredient that would unlock the island's development potential.

Schexnailder will give more information about the planning process Tuesday in a presentation to the City Council. He declined to comment before the meeting.

The consulting company is a Disney spinoff, i.d.e.a.s. of Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Owner Bob Allen said the company helps with the envisioning of large developments by helping write what the company calls the "story." The story creates a sense of place, character and direction for a project.

"What's the driving tale that's behind this marvelous thing we're going to build?" Allen said. "What is its personality going to be?"

The company will not re-engage a beach access debate, Allen said.

"That's an issue that the community will continue to have to decide. It certainly doesn't influence the story-making behind the project."

I.d.e.a.s. describes itself as "a playful assembly of musicians, writers, filmmakers, programmers, designers, editors, teachers, engineers, and artists."

The company started as a post-production division at Disney-MGM Studios, then spun off into an independent, privately owned company. Although i.d.e.a.s. still is based at the studios, Disney no longer owns a stake in the company but is a major client, according to the i.d.e.a.s. Web site.

Allen, whose job title is chief storytelling officer, stressed that Disney is not involved in the Padre Island project.

I.d.e.a.s. conducted the first step of the process last October, when two consultants visited with focus groups about Corpus Christi's economy, assets and vision. The focus groups included residents on both sides of the beach access debate and gave consultants a general idea of the area.

"I think Corpus Christi is a really fascinating next-generation tourist destination ready to happen," Allen said. "It's got a nice small-city feel. I think over the next couple of decades that's going to become more important to people."

The second part of the process, called "story jam," will be this week when i.d.e.a.s. consultants meet with 25 people Schexnailder has chosen to help shape the resort. Allen said he has not seen the roster but ideally it should include a diverse group of people who have something at stake in the project, either financially or emotionally.

The third step will be to take the ideas from story jam and put them into an actual resort concept, keeping both residents and tourists in mind, Allen said. Then i.d.e.a.s. will work with a travel marketing company to test the resort's feasibility and refine plans according to those results. A plan could be presented to the public this summer, Allen said.

Mayor Henry Garrett has yet to see the details of Schexnailder's new planning process, but he said the island needs a development that will work with the area's natural assets.

"I'd like to see something like we talked about before, a resort-type project," Garrett said. "We'd still protect the beaches, of course, but any type of development that would help us with our tax base would be more than welcome."

[funmeters1]

.d.e.a.s. conducted the first step of the process last October, when two consultants visited with focus groups about Corpus Christi's economy, assets and vision. The focus groups included residents on both sides of the beach access debate and gave consultants a general idea of the area.


Anybody from the focus group from last October want to jump in here and give their take on this plan?

[captaintim]

What is it exactly that you propose "taking on", economic development in general, or just the Padre Island project.
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Capt. Tim Duncan
Laguna Madre Charters
361-834-6305

[kyle]

wasnt this posted a while back,


still think the guy with the title chief story telling officer has gotta be a Vinegar and water deployment device
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SURE DO MISS THE BLUFF

[Jay Gardner AKA snookered]

LOL, Kyle....

[The Trash Heap]

Judging from the posts to the blog responding to yesterday's article, i.d.e.a.s. and the 25 have their work, whatever that is, cut out for them. Since there's unlikely to be a change in the voters' consensus that the public beach is off limits, my guess is tomorrow's presentation to the City Council will be to try to persuade it to sanction the sublease of the GLO land adjacent to the south side of Packery Channel to Shex. A previous article indicated one reason for not having gone forward sooner with the South Jetty Park was that the City was waiting to see what Shex wanted. He might also be wanting a tax rebate or other financial incentive from the City as a hedge against risk, but my bet is on his continuing to want to privatize the channel shorefront and cut holes in the channel revetments as shown in prior articles.

If he'd stick to developing only his own property with his own money, I'm sure the previous compromise offer, which he rejected, is still open to separate lanes of pedestrians from vehicles on the beach, but no amount of persuasion is ever going to separate the public from the TIF voter-approved vehicular access to the channel. Any Councilmember should realize re-election, if not recall, depends on holding the line on that issue.
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The Trash Heap Has Spoken!
NNYYAAAHH!!!

[ccbobber]

johnny, thanks for stating the main drive/objection to this development. why should he expect or why should anybody at city hall consider giving/leasing/allowing any breakup of packery or frontage for HIM.
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ccbobber

[funmeters1]

Clarification for captaintim.
NOT TAKING ON Take, on or another way stated, assessement, evaluation, appraisal, interpretation or opinion.
Don't look for a fight where there ain't one

[mastergunner]

This is why all the items that were in the TIF and paid for will never be built along the channel. With this council there is no telling what package they will offer schex. Wish I could get the city to finance me a mall or resort.
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Mastergunner, supporter of hardheads for state fish of Texas