CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — City council will be considering changes for Cole and Surfside Park on North Beach.
Amenities like a new playground, shade structures and elevated restrooms will be up for discussion.
The proposed updates to the parks are worth over $6 million. Both Cole Park and Surfside Park on North Beach have different changes that will hopefully be underway after city council meets on Tuesday. Director of Parks and Recreation for Corpus Christi Robert Dodd says these changes are long overdue.
"Cole Park is probably one of our busiest parks throughout the season, even on non-peak times, during the winter, it's heavily used," he said.
That includes the park's playground set, which has been there since 2011.
"The purchase of this playground is about $350,000, a little over that," Dodd said. "So it's a big investment, but it's worthwhile."
The 'play for all playground' will be inclusive for all children, complete with ramps and will be ADA compliant. Shade structures will be implemented as well.
"Suffocating heat," he said. "And that will add a little bit of relief to parents and children out there."
The bulk of the $6 million will go toward changes at Surfside Park on North Beach, which will include a playground and restrooms.
"The restrooms and the park amenities are kind of spread out and this is bringing that together," he said. "This bond project from 2020 is something that we're really excited about."
The restrooms at this park will be elevated to minimize the risk of flooding.
"The new restrooms are proposed to be constructed approximately 175 feet east of the existing restrooms to reduce the flooding problem that we have at North Beach," he said. "So it's something that's going to be there for a while, for sure."
If approved by city council, construction for Cole Park will begin after this summer season. Dodd anticipates construction will begin after Labor Day and hopes by December this year – the new amenities will be ready for that park. Also pending council approval, the anticipated construction completion for Surfside Park on North Beach will be April 2024.
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