The Port of Corpus Christi Community

The Port of Corpus Christi Highlights: 1994-2001
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Dates shown are years in which the project or facility was completed

1 9 2 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Channel from Gulf to shoreline of bay at Corpus Christi (by Untied States).
Channel from shoreline, including turning basin and four dry cargo docks (by Navigation District).
September 14 - Port of Corpus Christi opens to world commerce.
November 27 - first full cargo loaded.

1 9 3 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

30-foot depth in channel across bay to shoreline (by United States) and maneuvering basin (by Navigation District).
Construction completed on bulk materials loader.

1 9 3 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Channel across bay lighted by beacons for night navigation.
Industrial Canal and turning basin at Avery Point (by Navigation District).

1 9 3 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

32-foot depth across bay and through turning basin (by United States).
32-foot depth - Industrial Canal and turning basin at Avery Point (Navigation District).

1 9 4 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Enlarge inner harbor turning basin 1000 feet westward (by United States).

1 9 4 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cannel and Industrial Canal to 34 feet wide (by United States - to handle wartime tankers).

1 9 4 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barge Channel - 18feet deep, 125 feet wide, Avery Point Turning Basin to Corn Products (by Navigation District).

1 9 5 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corpus Christ Public Grain Elevator opens.
Channel widened from 200 to 400 feet.
Branch channel to Reynolds Aluminum plant on North Shore - 34 feet deep and 150 feet wide (by Navigation District).

1 9 5 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Channel - 34 feet deep and 150 feet wide (over barge channel) and Tule Lake Basin (by United States).

1 9 5 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chemical turning basin created (by Navigation District and Southern Alkali; result of completion of channel extension to Tule Lake).

1 9 5 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Channel - 36-foot depth from Gulf to Tule Lake Turning Basin (by United States).
Bulk Materials Dock begins operations.
High bridge at harbor entrance and upper harbor lift bridge open (Harbor Bridge and Tule Lake Lift Bridge).

1 9 6 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Removal of Bascule Bridge.
Viola channel and turning basin (by Navigation District).

1 9 6 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40-foot depth - Gulf to Viola Turning Basin (by United States).

1 9 6 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Richard King Terminal Opens.

1 9 6 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rincon Industrial Park completed.

1 9 7 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

District purchases Aransas Compress and reopens it as the Corpus Christi Public Compress.

1 9 7 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dredging begins from Gulf to Ingleside cutoff to 45 feet.

1 9 7 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

45-foot depth reaches La Quinta.

1 9 7 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dredging begins from La Quinta to one mile outside Corpus Christi breakwater.

1 9 8 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Grain elevator reopens after 1981 explosion.

1 9 8 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Port designated as Foreign Trade Zone #122.
New bulk handling facility with radial shiploader begins operations.

1 9 8 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Container facility completed.
Funding for Homeport construction approved.

1 9 8 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homeport construction begins.

1 9 8 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Construction begins on $20 million capital expansion program designed to diversity the Portís cargo base.
Transfer facility warehouse completed.
45-foot project completed.

1 9 9 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cargo Dock One open pavilion project completed.
Pier and wharf at Naval Station Ingleside completed.

1 9 9 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cargo Dock 8 open dock completed.
Mobile crane purchased.

1 9 9 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cargo dock warehouse completed.
Demolition of several original cargo docks.

1 9 9 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Executive Director Harry Plomarity retires after 41 years, becoming the longest tenured port director in the US.
Cargo Dock 9 begins its $7.6 million shed expansion and apron widening project.
1st port call by Lykes Lines container vessel.
Marion Luna Brem becomes 1st woman appointed to Port Commission.

1 9 9 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Port supports Corpus Christi Public Compress and Gulf Compress in application to become delivery point for New York Cotton Exchange.
Cargo Dock 9 shed expansion and apron widening project completed.
Bulk Dock 3 in preliminary planning and design stage.
Mark Hulings sworn in as youngest Commissioner ever appointed.

1 9 9 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Completion of port's southside general cargo terminal 15.5 acre storage yard.
Port of Corpus Christi turns 70 years old.
Port receives $2.5 million EDA grant for construction of loop rail track around Bulk Terminal.
City of Corpus Christi selects Port to oversee construction of Lake Texana Pipeline Project.

1 9 9 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Completion of 7 acre public storage pad at Bulk Terminal.
1st refrigerated vessel calls port.
Rice, Unruh, Reynolds ship agency opens in Corpus Christi.
Rail Link is awarded common carrier short line railroad agreement.
Design work of Port Of Corpus Christi Fire Fighting Vessel begins.
Construction of loop rail track around Bulk Terminal completed.

1 9 9 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lake Texana Pipeline Project completed.
Port Of Corpus Christi designated as New Strategic Military Seaport.
Port awarded $11 million transportation bill for Joe Fulton International Trade Corridor.
Port awarded $1.5 million of federal monies for Waterfront Development Project.

1 9 9 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Public storage pad expanded to 17 acres at Bulk Terminal.
Renovations to Cargo Docks 1 & 2 begin.
Port Web site launched: www.portofcorpuschristi.com
Port Of Corpus Christi signs Sister Port Agreement with Port of Keelung, Taiwan.
Port serves as Automobile Gateway for Ford Motor Company.

2 0 0 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Port's diversification efforts become a reality. Construction complete on 100,000 square foot refrigerated warehouse, as well as port's multi-use cruise terminal/meeting & banquet facility, named in honor of Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz.
Corpus Christi Public Elevator leased to Archer Daniels Midland.
Port Of Corpus Christi signs lease for first day-cruise operation, Corpus Christi Day Cruises.
Port christens Fire Fighting Vessel Port Of Corpus Christi.

2 0 0 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yolanda Olivarez selected as first female, first Hispanic to serve as Chair of Port Commission.
Port Celebrates 75th Anniversary
Port of Corpus Christi Signs Letter of Intent for Sister Port Agreement with Port Of Tenerife, Canary Islands.
Port Of Corpus Christi signs Sister Port Agreement with Port of Cortès, Honduras.