b'C o m m u n i t yMost of this land is on the North Beach side of the channel, and the removal of the old bridge will reunite more than a dozen city blocks that have been partitioned since 1959. The once-vibrant debate about a Riverwalk-style canal feature on North Beach, running roughly where the current Surfside Blvd. median is now, has been all but forgotten these daysbut some sort of economic stimulus will be required in order for these soon-to-be open blocks to either blossom into a district of revi-talization, or devolve into further blight in the shadow of the citys sparking, new billion-dollar landmark.If you are a new resident in the Coastal Bend, or here on vacation, visiting family, or workingdepending on where youre fromthese sound like thoroughly First-World problems, and they are. If you are familiar with our economic history, how-ever, you know that the Coastal Bend and Corpus Christi as its metropolitan center have lagged behind the rest of the big Texas cities over the past four decades or so. Especially when considering our geography, robust energy, military and manufac-turing industries, and appeal as a community, the Coastal Bend is this gem ready to to traffic maps posted on the Harbor Bridge Project website, guests of the Omnibe discovered. Without a doubt, the new Harbor Bridge will stand as a symbol and Hotel, for example, will take a route along Martin Luther King Dr. through the hearta stimulus for growth. Let us remember that a main motivator for the construction of the Washington-Coles neighborhood, to catch the last onramp before the newof the new bridge is to allow larger ships, specifically those now accommodated by bridge and over to the one exit ramp for North Beach, which will be equivalent tothe historic expansion of the Panama Canal, to pass into the Port of Corpus Christi.the current Beach Ave. exit at the north end of the peninsula. Over future editions of this guide, we will research and publish plans for growth re-The effect of the new bridge on the connection between North Beach andlated to the opening of the new Harbor Bridge from the various governing entities downtown is a significant matter to residents, businesses and attractions on bothinvolved including the City of Corpus Christi, Nueces County, the Texas Department sides of the ship channel, but it is a mere fleeing concern compared to the matterof Transportation, the Port of Corpus Christi, and the Regional Transportation of repurposing almost 100 acres of land that will open up when the old bridge isAuthority. We are confident that we will find cogent, detailed and well-considered removeda process that will take more than a year after the new bridge opens. plans of action from each.28 THE COASTAL BEND GUIDE TheCoastalBend.com'