CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Business owners along Port Avenue said they are tired and frustrated with the ongoing homelessness problem affecting their neighborhood. This has been an issue since they could remember but it is now getting out of hand.
Amador Garcia, the property owner of Port Square Plaza, has seen the issue firsthand over the past two decades. He said the former site of a Boat N’ Net restaurant, which permanently closed last year, has become a popular spot for homeless individuals.
"It didn't really manifest itself until about five or six years ago," Garcia said, referring to the growing presence of homeless people in the area.
Garcia, who has owned property in the area for nearly 20 years, explained that while law enforcement occasionally responds to calls for help, the situation has become a "revolving door."
He added that after police arrive and disperse the homeless individuals, they quickly return to the same spots.
"There's prostitution going on, and there’s shoplifting over at the Family Dollar," Garcia said.
Garcia previously owned the Family Dollar store on Port Avenue but sold it due to problems related to homelessness.
KRIS 6 News submitted a public information request to the City of Corpus Christi's Code Enforcement Department. The documents obtained revealed multiple code violations and complaints not only at the Boat N’ Net location near Garcia's office, but also at three other former Boat N’ Net sites in the area.
Those include the following :
- 1411 S. Port Ave.
- 621 NAS Dr.
- 3022 Leopard St.
- 4431 Greenwood Dr.
- 4808 Kostoryz Rd.
The violations include overgrown grass, tall weeds, trash accumulation, and reports of trespassers. Code enforcement officials confirmed they are aware of the ongoing issues.
Garcia said that some homeless individuals frequently bring cardboard boxes and sleep at the Boat N’ Net and other businesses. Another property owner, who asked to stay anonymous, said their employees or customers sometimes get assaulted.
KRIS 6 News reached out to code enforcement and they said they are aware this is a continuing problem. They said they are working on a solution
Despite repeated complaints, Garcia said the homeless continue to return to the area. He has called and complained multiple times. He added that he is hopeful that law enforcement will step up their patrols and work with the city to come up with a more effective solution.
As of now, Garcia and other business owners in the area are left waiting to see what can be done.
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