By Dan Parker
News editor
Cinnamon Shore has been chosen as the site for construction of an upscale hotel with a conference center in a public-private venture involving the City of Port Aransas.
The city council voted tonight (the evening of Thursday, Jan. 17) to pick Cinnamon Shore for the site instead of the Palmilla Beach Resort and Golf Community.
Developers of both properties appeared before the council tonight and made passionate pitches that they be selected as the city’s partner in the development. Mayor Charles Bujan said it was difficult for the council to choose. However, in the end, the panel voted 7-0 to go with Cinnamon Shore.
As envisioned by the city, Cinnamon Shore will get a rebate on sales taxes and hotel occupancy taxes generated specifically from the project as an incentive toward construction of the hotel and conference center.
City and chamber officials for years have been saying that Port Aransas needs such a facility to attract conventions that would help power the town’s economy during the “shoulder” seasons on either side of summer.
No hotels within the Port Aransas city limits possess the combination that leaders say they’re looking for: Plenty of rooms, sizable convention space, a full-service kitchen and other amenities.
The city now will work for about two months with Cinnamon Shore to “flesh out” plans for the project, Bujan said. The public will have input in the process, which should wrap up by April 1, he said.
By law, the project plans then must then get approval from the state comptroller’s office. That will take a few more months, Bujan said.
The city must enter into a development agreement by Sept. 1 in order to comply with legislation that would allow the tax breaks.
Plans call for the hotel-conference center to be part of a new subdivision Cinnamon Shore recently began developing on State Highway 361, just north of the La Mirage condominiums, said Jeff Lamkin, CEO of the Sea Oats Group, the developer of Cinnamon Shore.
(Watch for more on this story in the Jan. 24 edition of the South Jetty.)
I am opposed to the decision to build more rental type buildings around Cinnamon Shore area which is a tourist rental area mainly. Its a traffic and busy beach burden on other residents and owners who do not rent to tourists zoned in that area.
There is still much open land that can be used elsewhere. I believe the City Council made a mistake.