Two Nueces County beach parks are set for a significant upgrade as local officials move forward with a long-delayed expansion project funded by a federal grant tied to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Construction timelines call for the project to be completed by February 2027.
The effort will nearly double the number of RV and tent camping sites at I.B. Magee Park in Port Aransas and Padre Balli Park on Padre Island.
County commissioners approved a request from Coastal Parks Director Scott Cross to begin the bidding process for construction services related to the improvements.
The expansion will also include new roads, infrastructure, and recreational amenities to better serve the growing number of visitors to the popular Gulf Coast destinations.
“We are going to basically double the size of the RV park with additional RV and tent camp parking sites, along with an open-air pavilion to serve the park itself, new roads, infrastructure, stuff like that. Same at Padre,” Cross said, as reported by 3 News on July 23.
The $7.5 million project is funded through the RESTORE Act, which channels settlement money from the BP oil spill to Gulf Coast restoration projects. However, the funding process also faced repeated delays.
“In my opinion, I’m very grateful for the award, but it’s a broken program. I wish they would’ve just block granted that money down to the state agency or to the county like they do in Florida,” Cross said.
Despite the frustrations, Commissioner Brent Chesney expressed optimism about the economic impact and tourism boost the project is expected to bring once completed.
“It’s going to bring additional revenue for the county and it’s not going to cost us anything because it’s a grant,” Chesney said. “So yeah, it’s taken a long time.”
Upgrades at both locations will include expanded and modernized RV pads, improved water and sewer connections, and enhanced beach access. The improvements are expected to attract more visitors and extend their stays in the region.