Cameron County mulls SPI hotel: Would be located inside Andy Bowie Park

Cameron County commissioners are looking into the possibility of building a full-service, upscale resort hotel on South Padre Island within Andy Bowie Park and adjacent to the SPI Convention Center and Beach Access No. 2.

Just one potential developer submitted a proposal for the development in response to a Request for Proposals the county issued with a May 23 deadline for submissions. The property in question is 8.5 acres of county land inside Andy Bowie just north of the Hilton Garden Inn SPI, which opened in 2010 on county-owned land. County Parks Director Joe Vega said county commissioners are “putting out feelers” to determine whether a new hotel is feasible.

“We want to bring some more economic development opportunities to Cameron County and South Padre Island,” he said.

Vega said he thinks the market is there for a full-service, upscale resort hotel.

“I think there is going to be be plenty of business for a hotel,” he said. “I know that South Padre Island is looking into expanding the convention center in the near future, and they’re working on plans. That is going to bring more people to South Padre Island.”

The proposal is being reviewed by an evaluation committee but has not yet been presented to the commissioners court, Vega said. Details of the proposal won’t be made public unless the commission accepts the proposal, according to the county’s purchasing department.

In related news, commissioners at their May 23 regular meeting approved a motion authorizing the awarding of a contract to Houston-based Huitt-Zollars Inc. for “master planning consulting services for undeveloped coastal properties,” the subject of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued by the county with a deadline of April 18.

Vega during the May 23 meeting reported the Huitt-Zollars scored highest among the three companies that submitted proposals in response to the RFQ. The consultant will be charged with putting together a master plan for developing county-owned undeveloped properties, including conducting an assessment of those properties.

“The assessments will help determine both short-term and long-term improvements and potential land usage, which will then be used as a guide that Cameron County staff and officials could use as they evaluate development opportunities for undeveloped coastal properties,” according to the RFQ.

“The master plan will be a tool to guide (the county) for improvement ideas for the undeveloped coastal properties … as well as identify potential new concessionaires that may operate in park areas designated as part of the planning process.”