CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There’s no shortage of construction happening on North Padre Island, but the latest shovel to break into the soil was for 'The Lighthouse.'
Eric Perardi with Waymaker Developments is one of the partners bringing The Lighthouse on The Island to life. He told 3NEWS that the facility, which will be a first of its kind for Corpus Christi and The Island, will be two stories and 32,000 square feet.
"We are bringing kind of an original concept where we have a community center that has mind, body and spirituality," Perardi said. "The top floor is going to be an event center with daycare and then a church on Sundays, Real Life Church, who’s the owner of the land."
According to Peradi the ground floor will have more traditional tenants like retail shops and medical care. There's also plans for a pickleball court and playground to go in the back.
"With all of the growth on The Island and homes coming here there is a lot of services that The Island doesn’t have, and I keep hearing “OTB” because no one wants to go 'over the bridge,' Perardi said.
He hopes The Lighthouse's amenities will both help islanders not have to leave The Island to get what they need, but also bring visitors as well.
This is something Mayor Paulette Guajardo is fully behind.
"This kind of innovation is so important to Corpus Christi, and we are absolutely elated to see more small businesses just be born out here," Guajardo said. "This facility is going to entail multiple small businesses."
At the center of this new space is Real Life Church which isn’t new to The Island at all.
"I live in Flour Bluff, but I’ve been a member of the church for 15 years," local resident Kathy Barfield said. "I’ve followed them wherever we’ve gone and this is so exciting to have this new venture."
"We are excited to give them back a home as well," Perardi said.
The developers hope to move more dirt in the summer, and hope it will take 18 months to complete the project.