b'A FUTURE FOR NORTH BEACH? In 2019, hundreds of Corpus Christians turned out at Corpus Christi City Council meetings in support of the proposed redevelopment of North Beach, once the center of recreation on the Texas Gulf Coast. The proposal included a mile-long, navigable canal that would both relieve the chronic flooding problem on North Beach and provide a new entertainment and commercial zone that would impact Corpus Christi as significantly as the Riverwalk impacted downtown San Antonio. $42.5 million for the canal was approved 9-0 by City Council in December 2019, but no action has been taken.forgotten, and all the ideas for North Beach that were rejected the prior year wereand arranged all of the on-stage talent, fell into a dispute with the City entities that brought back by the City Manager and Mayoras if the December 2019 vote neverran Fiesta de la Flor, and they left forSan Antonio, where a replacement festival was happened. Worst of all, the canals biggest supporters have said nothing in defensescheduled, but was lost to Covid and never took place. It was rumored and then re-of the City ordinance that was passed unanimously, funding a specific canal design. ported that the Quintanillas share of profits from the final years event was $18,000, With the new, billion-dollar Harbor Bridge set to finally open next year, more than 50the obvious basis of their complaint. Eighteen grand for more than a $1 million in acres will be cleared in 2026 where the current bridge has stood for 65 years. On theticket sales, plus concessions, plus paid sponsors, VIP tents, vendor revenue, and oth-north side of the channel, on North Beach, some 20 city blocks that disappeared wither sources of revenue? With unlimited hands in the proverbial cookie jar, is it any the construction of the 1959 Harbor Bridge can potentiallysurprise that nearly every dime of profit was likely diverted be restored. This is a major development opportunity that isCorpus Christis HemisFair is a reprisedinto the hands of a select group of vendors and contractors, being completely ignored by City managers and CouncilifSelena Festival that brings home the Tejanoleaving a pittance for the talent on which it all depended?you are one of them, ask yourself if a Mayor Cisneros wouldfamily whom she led, and who is stillCorpusChristisHemisFairisareprisedSelenaFestival be ignoring the oncoming dilemma of what to do with thisadmired by millions of fans across Norththat brings home the Tejano family whom she led, and who highest-profile City property. All of you know that the an- America. The biggest Latin stars. shouldis still admired by millions of fans across North America. swer is not, Of course, like us. The biggest Latin stars in the U.S. and Mexico, like Corpus be brought to the Bayfront in celebrationChristi native Eva Longoria and Jennifer Lopez (J-Lo), Corpus Christis Golden Ticket(s) of Latin culture, Selena and Tejano. whosecareerwaslaunchedwhensheportrayedSelena, Cheech Marin, whose art has been celebrated in Corpus Inalifethatlastedatragically-short23years,SelenaChristi, and George Lopez, who has performed here many times, should be brought Quintanilla earned the title of Queen of Tejano throughout the United States andto the Bayfront in celebration of Latin culture, Selena and Tejano. It may not equal Latin America, especially Mexico. Selena created a musical genre and style all hera Papal visit, but a new Selena Festival is an obvious, high-profile, annual event that own, and few artists following of millions of fans has grown for three decades af- could renew Corpus Christis identity, nationally and internationally.ter their passing. For five years, from 2015 through 2019, Fiesta de la Flor attractedThe Coastal Bend is suffering a significant, and almost severe, shortage of doctors of over 30,000 fans from across the U.S. and Latin America for a three-day celebrationalmost all disciplines. The Texas A&M system operates a successful nursing program of Selena and Tejano Music. All of the hotels and island condos were sold out, youin Corpus Christi, as well as an excellent pharmacy school in Kingsville, but the swell-couldnt get a seat at a downtown restaurant, and the event dominated the Bayfronting need is for physicians. Many of our local doctors, plus many who visit on a weekly next to the American Bank Center, where festival activities took place inside and out.basis to conduct appointments, were educated at the UT Health Science Center (UT After the 2019 event, the Quintanilla family, who lent Selenas identity to the festivalHealth) in San Antonio, which has grown every year since it was established in 1959. 52THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE TheCoastalBend.com'