Which parks, roads may see extra funds? Here's how to weigh in on the 2024 bond program.
Where taxpayer funding may be invested – including the specific roads and parks that may benefit from the extra dollars – is headed to residents for feedback that could influence what would be on the ballot in the fall.
The 2024 bond program as proposed stands at $175 million, about a 40% increase over the 2022 bond program that weighed in at $125 million.
The proposed candidate list shown Tuesday “looks totally different” than what was presented earlier this month, following additional discussions with the council members, Assistant City Manager Neil Young told the City Council on Tuesday.
It’s understandable that the $175 million price tag may cause “some people take pause,” he added.
He identified the $50 million difference between the bond 2022 program and the proposed bond 2024 program as “a portfolio of new facilities,” including new police substations, new fire stations and a new library and community center for District 5, where there currently is none that is operated by the city.
The projects represent “all of those needs to ensure that our public safety officials have the facilities that they need to operate and our community has their own independent facilities for quality of life in higher growth areas,” he said.
Categories that saw significant increases in the proposed bond compared to 2022 include $34.75 million for parks in the proposed 2024 bond package compared to $20 million in 2022, and increases in public safety capital improvements from $10 million in 2022 to about $45 million in the proposed 2024 program, council documents show.
The projects that would be included in the proposed bond 2024 package aren’t finalized, with about another three months of potential adjustments ahead.
City officials have said they are planning to take into account feedback from the community – including that provided in a planned series of town halls – as well as council input and stakeholder feedback.
Concerns have been voiced by the public about the size of the proposed program, said City Councilman Gil Hernandez.
There may be potential to drop the price tag from the $175 million proposed initially to a final cost around $125 million, he added.
“I don’t know what that looks like, what that would come down to – maybe somewhere similar to 2022,” Hernandez said. “But… I’ll wait to see what we hear in the community meetings.”
A refined list is intended to be available in July. The council would be expected to formally vote on the list that would go to the ballot in August. Adopting the program would require voter approval in the fall election.
Here are the proposed candidate projects for the 2024 bond program, as outlined in city documents and presentations shown Tuesday, and as will be presented in the upcoming town hall meetings:
Streets: $92 million
Lower Broadway, from Cooper’s Alley to Twigg St.
$10 million
First phase of project, which would include “historic retaining wall stabilization, slope stabilization and construction of Lower Broadway.”
North Beach roads improvements
$3 million
The money would be an adjunct to funds allocated in the voter-approved 2018 bond program. It would go to construction of of two roads leading to the causeway, Beach and Gulfspray avenues.
Yorktown Boulevard, from the Oso Bridge to Waldron Road
$4 million
Design work road reconstruction and ancillary infrastructure improvements.
Rand Morgan Road, from McNorton Road to Interstate 37
$3 million
Design work for planned reconstruction of Texas Department of Transportation facility.
Sam Rankin Road, from Port Avenue to Interstate 37
$3 million
Design work for planned storm drainage improvements.
S. Staples Street access road, from Annapolis Drive to Kostoryz Road
$6 million
Road reconstruction and ancillary infrastructure improvements.
Alameda Street, from Texas Trail to Doddridge Road
$17 million
Road reconstruction and ancillary infrastructure improvements.
Alameda Street, from Doddridge Road to Everhart Road
$3.5 million
Design work for planned road reconstruction and ancillary infrastructure improvements.
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Bear Lane, from Joe Mireuir Road to S. Padre Island Drive
$2.5 million
Design work for planned road reconstruction.
Allencrest Drive, from Ayers Street to dead end
$2 million
Design work toward planned road reconstruction.
Schanen Boulevard, from Weber Road to Everhart Road
$2 million
Design work for planned road reconstruction.
Holly Road, from Ennis Joslin Drive to Paul Jones Avenue
$11 million
Road reconstruction and ancillary infrastructure improvements..
Graham Road, from Flour Bluff Drive to Waldron Road
$3 million
Design work toward planned road reconstruction.
Tara subdivision, including Armitage Drive, Audubon Drive, Riata Drive, Riata Circle, Richland Street and Rosedown Drive
$3.7 million
Road reconstruction.
JFK Causeway
$1 million
Parking lot for beneath the bridge. Work includes design, environmental permitting and construction.
Cimarron Boulevard, from Bison Drive/Grenoble Drive to Legacy Point
$3.3 million
Design work toward planned road reconstruction.
Acushnet Drive, from Weber Road to Saratoga Boulevard
$2.5 million
Design work toward planned road reconstruction.
Lipes Boulevard, from Airline Road to Bronx Avenue
$2.5 million
Design work toward planned road rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Grand Junction Drive, from Wapentate Drive to Cedar Pass Drive
$2.5 million
Design work toward planned road rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Rodd Field Road, from Yorktown Boulevard to Adler Drive
$2.5 million
Design work toward planned construction of two new lanes.
Brooke Road, from Rodd Field Road to Ametrine Drive
$2.5 million
Design work toward planned road reconstruction and rehabilitation.
District 5 trail connectivity
$1.5 million
Connections for portions of trails currently not connected.
Parks: $34.75 million
Oso Golf Center, clubhouse construction
$10 million
Clubhouse construction. Dimensions proposed area two-story building with about 10,000 square feet in space, including amenities.
Texas State Aquarium, parking lot
$2 million
Large parking lot resurfacing.
Aquatic center, Northside area and Hillcrest neighborhood
$4.5 million
Replacement pool construction.
Labonte Park expansion
$1.75 million
Construction of baseball fields, softball fields and parking lot.
Sherrill Veterans Memorial Park
$2 million
Construction of helicopter pad to display aircraft, also design work toward planned amenities, including additional memorials.
Cole Park parking
$1 million
Design work, as well as construction, for new parking lot.
Greenwood Softball Complex
$2.75 million
Funding as adjunct to voter-approved bond dollars for remaining planned improvements.
Commodores Park
$5 million
Design work and construction for improvements planned to include a bird pond, workout stations and pickleball courts.
Peary Place
$2 million
Construction of two new baseball fields, as well as softball fields, and accompanying parking lot.
Dimmit Pier boat ramp
$1 million
Design work toward planned boat ramp construction.
Bill Witt Park
$2.75 million
Design work and construction of new vehicular transportation infrastructure, to include parking lots and access roads.
Fire facilities: $30 million
Fire Station 10 replacement, 1550 Horne Road
$12.5 million
Demolition of Fire Station 8 and construction of new facility.
Fire Station 8 replacement, 4645 Kostoryz Rd.
$12.5 million
Demolition of Fire Station 11 and construction of new facility.
Fire Station 9, location pending determination
$2.5 million
Land purchase and design work toward construction of new facility.
Fire station 11
$2.5 million
Land purchase and design work toward new facility.
Police facilities: $15 million
New police substation, West Guth Park
$9 million
New facility construction in Calallen area.
New police substation, Del Mar College Campus
$5 million
Adjunct funding for construction of the new Far Southside facility.
New police substation, La Palmera Mall area
$1 million
Design work toward planned new facility.
Public facilities: $3.25 million
New library and community/senior center, location pending determination
$2 million
Design work toward planned construction of a new facility.
S. Julius Lichenstein House, Littles-Martin House and Tex-Mex Rail Road House, Heritage Park
$1.25 million
Design work and construction of facility upgrades.
Town hall meetings
Community input meetings are scheduled to provide feedback on the proposed candidate projects. Some dates were adjusted this week.
All are scheduled for between 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• May 8: Lindale Senior Center, 3135 Swantner Dr.
• May 13: Ethyl Everly Senior Center, 654 Graham Rd.
• May 15: CW Choke Canyon, 2726 Holly Rd.
• May 20: Northwest Senior Center, 9725 Up River Rd.
• May 22: District 5 Town Hall, location to be determined
More: Voters support city, Corpus Christi ISD bonds, oppose some school measures
More: A bond program was proposed for $175 million. Here's what the council thinks.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here's how residents can make their voice heard in bond 2024 projects
