CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The undeveloped land on County Road 43 and Farm-to-Market Road 2444 could soon see houses and stores built after Corpus Christi City Council proposed rezoning the London area from agricultural use to commercial and residential use.
London ISD Superintendent Dr. Bill Chapman said they have seen a 55.9-percent increase in student enrollment between the 2018-19 and 2023-24 school years. By 2028, the school district expects enrollment to exceed over 2,400 students.
"London ISD has grown from 2000 to 2003 we've grown from 300 students to more than 1,800 students that we have today. And that will keep growing up 200 to 300 students per year in our district," Chapman said.
He said housing developments have popped up across the London area. There are currently 15 building subdivisions with about 111 homes under construction, and 638 vacant developed lots. There are 11 future subdivisions planned that include more than 2,500 lots.
Caroline's Heights is one of these subdivision and could be expanding soon if the rezoning is approved.
"Basically for the next 10 years, averaging over 7-percent growth a year and honestly based on what happens with the economy that number could exceed that 7 percent annually," he said.
Although this new development could bring many new opportunities to the London community, Councilmember Jim Kein said it can also be very costly to the city.
"The fact that it's so far out because I know the city manager has told us that we should expect to build another lift station for the wastewater system on the other side of Oso Creek," Klein said. "That's going to be a multi-million dollar project and we wouldn't have to do if we didn't have all this new development that far out."
3NEWS reached out to Councilmember Gil Hernandez, who resides over District 5, about Klein's concerns but he said people will live where they to want to live, so the city must continue to expand.
The Corpus Christi City Council is expected to vote on this rezoning proposal next Tuesday.