CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A local water park may be coming back to life with the help of funding from Corpus Christi City Council.
The Watergarden, located between the American Bank Center and the Art Museum of South Texas, was known as a picturesque hotspot. However, in 2017, it was damaged by Hurricane Harvey.
Now, city council members have decided to repair the Watergarden and are adding an additional $3.5 million to the already existing cost.
"During Hurricane Harvey, the rain flooded it," Council member at large Mike Pusley said. "The emergency generator ran out of fuel and so the pumps that keep the cellar dry stopped working."
The price tag for repairs was initially $5 million, now totaling the project close to $9 million.
But not all city council members voted "Yes" on the extra funds. Council member Gil Hernandez was the only "No" vote.
"Anytime we build something or improve something or have something that needs maintenance, it actually has to be done," Hernandez said. "So to spend this kind of money on an amenity when you have so many other things to fix, really should address your priorities with what we need to do."
Hernandez also questioned about how the city will maintain the Watergarden once they complete the multimillion dollar repairs.
Pusley said tax payers will not have to worry about footing all of the cost.
"It's very important part of the American Bank Center complex and we wanted to get it back in operation," Pusley said. "It's a difficult decision. There's no doubt about that, it's a lot of money. We're taking money out of the sales tax money that's collected for the Seawall Fund."
New supply piping for the fountains, modifying the electrical vault and upgrading the mechanics to keep the Watergarden functioning will be included in the repairs. LED lighting will also be added to the area.
The city says the goal is to not just repair the Watergarden, but to modernize it. The plan is to have it back up and running by the end of the year.
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