70 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE TheCoastalBend.com C o m m u n i t y Whitecap NPI Amenities Now Being Completed North Padre Island, Texas, is in many ways, a polar op- posite community compared to the similarly-named vacation town located at the southern end of the lon- gest barrier island in the world. Part of the city of Corpus Christi, North Padre Islanders enjoy all the benefits of liv- ing in a major city (the 8th-largest in Texas), with major retail, medical, and entertainment just 15 minutes “OTB” (over the bridge)—plus the added benefit of being lo- cated within the Flour Bluff Independent School Dis- trict, the highest-rated academically of any large Coastal Bend public school system. As opposed to other island vacation towns, North Padre Island offers a more relaxed pace in a less congested setting, where the beauty of na- ture can be more fully appreciated. Whitecap NPI is the new, emerging centerpiece of life and activity on North Padre Island, developed on the 240-acre site that was occupied for decades by a golf course and country club, followed by six years as a wa- terpark. The resort community started with the con- struction of over five miles of new, navigable canals that connect waterfront homes to the Gulf, to the east, and to the Laguna Madre to the west, followed by the construc- tion of seven bridges to and within Whitecap NPI that provide 12-feet of clearance for boats traveling on the canals. The new water connection through the canal sys- tem has brought clearer, gulf waters into the Padre Isles canal system on the back side of the island, improving water quality, fishing and, especially, the smell! The first stage of construction is well underway on Whitecap Island, the northernmost section of the com- munity where the Pelican’s Landing Pool and Fitness Center is now complete, and where the first five White- cap NPI model homes are under construction—three single-family canal-front, and two interior duplexes. The first major piece of many Whitecap NPI amenities, Peli- can’s Landing features a large, resort swimming pool and sundeck, a kid’s water play area, family cabanas, private changing rooms, and a first-class fitness facility. Just a short bicycle or golf cart ride south of Whitecap Island, next to the east side of the nature preserve, Her- on’s Nest Cafe & Community Park is positioned within a protected inlet on Kingfisher Canal—the central fea- ture being a soft, sandy beach area on the canal! Lucky guests will enjoy artisan food and beverage creations in an elegant, natural setting where so many of the is- land’s treasures convene and may be appreciated most. Southeast of Heron’s Landing is the 30-acre Whitecap Preserve, perhaps the most significant environmental contribution created in a coastal, master-planned com- munity. Developed under the consultation of a retired Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist, the preserve provides a new, protected habitat for native and migrating birds, millions of which stop over on North Padre Island follow- ing treks of over a thousand miles from winter havens in Mexico and Central America. In time, the Whitecap Yacht Club will emerge in the com- munity’s Marina District, to be situated in the middle of the development where the canal system connects to Lake Padre and the Gulf under the new Don Patricio Bridges. The most advanced and automated dry-stack boat storage facility on the Texas Gulf Coast will set at the heart of the marina, and the yacht club will provide an elegant setting for residents and guests, with dining options, a pool and pool bar, and space for private events. The community's first model homes are taking shape on Whitecap Island, three of which are situated on Flycatcher Canal and will offer stunning, unobstructed northeasterly views of the Upper Laguna Madre from rear balconies. An array of construction options are offered at Whitecap NPI, all of which are inspired by the elegant-modern- ism-meets-island theme of the most significant, new wa- terfront development on the Texas Gulf Coast. Heron's Nest Cafe & Community Park Pelican's Landing Pool & Fitness Center
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