Redevelopment at the old SeaGun Resort (Houston, Dallas: real estate, condominiums, hotel)

[latetotheparty]

I have read a bit about plans for this area, just north of Rockport. Spent A LOT of my youth camping in Goose Island park and then staying at the SeaGun and finally in the early 80's, my mom bought one of the cottages. It was really depressing how it all deteriorated so badly so quickly through the late 80's - 90's ......

Was just wondering if y'all know more about what is likely to happen there and what y'all think about it.......

[destin04]

You got my interest up....but I googled it and couldn't find anything.

[latetotheparty]

my brother still lives in the houston area and he mentioned it to me a few months back .... i found an article from the last year or so on the cc caller-times web site (i believe) where it was discussed. would be VERY cool if it does come to fruition..... and i was hoping that someone here might have more up-to-date knowledge.....

[latetotheparty]

here is the link:

Aransas County to get $75M project : Corpus Christi Local | Caller-Times |



and here is the article:


Aransas County to get $75M project

Luxury town homes, marina are planned on Sea Gun property

By Mary Ann Cavazos (Contact)
Originally published 12:00 a.m., July 14, 2007
Updated 03:35 a.m., July 14, 2007
A project redeveloping about 22 acres on the Lamar Peninsula would include luxury town homes, waterfront condominiums and a new marina.


Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times This is part of the 22 acres that will be redeveloped as part of a $75 million project on the Lamar Peninsula that is slated to bring luxury town homes, waterfront condominiums and a new marina to Aransas County.


Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times Developers plan to build a $75 million project on the old Sea Gun Sports Inn complex on the Lamar Peninsula in Lamar.


Rachel Denny Clow/Caller-Times The old Sea Gun Sports Inn complex on the Lamar Peninsula in Lamar has a redevelopment project in the works which includes 50 luxury town homes with boat slips, two condominium projects with 100 units each, a 165 slip marina and possible resort hotel.


Developers plan to build a $75 million project on the old Sea Gun Sports Inn complex on the Lamar Peninsula.


A $75 million project on the Lamar Peninsula will bring luxury town homes, waterfront condominiums and a new marina to Aransas County, according to developers.
The project will redevelop about 22 acres including the old Sea Gun Sports Inn property.
It is a joint venture partnership between Brett Bohn of Houston-based Lakeland Development Company and David Pilgrim and Alan Latham of Aransas Bay Interest. Pilgrim and Latham are the current property owners.
John Howard Mills first built his family's compound on the property with several cottages and a fishing and hunting camp in 1933. In 1960, the family sold the property to Dallas entrepreneur Toddie Lee Wynn, said Mills' grandson and current Aransas County Judge Burt Mills Jr.
At its peak in the 1960s and 1970s, Wynn's Sea Gun Sports Inn attracted a variety of fishing and hunting enthusiasts from tourists to Hollywood movie stars and politicians. The complex included an upscale restaurant, additional cottages, fishing charter services, private duck blinds, a marina, swimming pool and tennis courts.
The Sea Gun hotel and restaurant, which will be demolished, have been out of use for nearly a decade.
But Bohn, who owns Key Allegro Yacht Club and Key Allegro Real Estate Company, said the property once again will flourish with activity.
"We want to bring a first class project to the area and reinstate that status," said Bohn, who lives in Rockport.
Plans include creating a private gated enclave with 15 waterfront lots for single family homes, 50 town homes with individual boat slips, 100 condominium units, a 165-slip marina and Harbormaster building.
"We have not decided to include a (boutique resort) hotel," Bohn said. "We're still considering that."
The Lamar Peninsula project is another in a recent boom of upscale residential development in Aransas County. Last month, a luxury townhouse development project began in Rockport. The $41 million development named La Salle will include 80 town homes with optional elevators and other high-dollar amenities. That project is expected to be completed by the end of this month.
"Our industry is basically residential home sales," said Diane Probst, president and CEO of Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce. "It's going to benefit the entire area."
The peninsula, which is connected to the Rockport-Fulton area by the Copano Bay Causeway, is not incorporated and does not fall into any city's jurisdiction. For that reason, developers were not required to seek approval from nearby planning and zoning committees and city councils, Mills said.
"They're thinking ahead and they're not going to build some shabby place," Mills said, adding that county commissioners approve of the project.
County officials have not yet estimated the potential amount of tax revenue the Sea Gun development will generate but it is certain to have a dramatic effect, Mills said.
"We're thrilled with it," Mills said. "It's a beautiful location and once it gets going on the tax roll it'll be wonderful."
The Sea Gun project will likely be completed in three to five years, Bohn said.
Contact Mary Ann Cavazos at 886-3623 or

[EarlB]

Would be nice to see that happen. As a kid my Dad would take me fishing all night on the causeway, we had a camper so I'd catch some sleep there then in the morning we'd go out on the Whooping Crane with Capt. Charlie Brown. He was such a nice man letting us little kids get behind the wheel. That dang cat of his, Hardhead would steel your fish in a heartbeat if you weren't watching (and sometimes if you were)!

Good times and memories there.

Earl

[latetotheparty]

Originally Posted by EarlB

Would be nice to see that happen. As a kid my Dad would take me fishing all night on the causeway, we had a camper so I'd catch some sleep there then in the morning we'd go out on the Whooping Crane with Capt. Charlie Brown. He was such a nice man letting us little kids get behind the wheel. That dang cat of his, Hardhead would steel your fish in a heartbeat if you weren't watching (and sometimes if you were)!

Good times and memories there.

Earl

oh my god .... you just described some of my own memories.... all the way down to hardhead the cat...... you know they had a little gravesite for him next to the marina.... not sure what if anything is still there at this point.... moved my then in-failing-health mom up here to missouri in late 1998 and don't think i've been back to the rockport area since.... i do know that it took the better part of a year to get that little cottage sold.... at a firesale price.....

and we spent MANY MANY nights fishing out on that causeway .... the short side and the long side.... caught two dog-fish on a double lure one time....

[Stan41]

I spent many happy times at the Sea-Gun. Fished most of the night at the causeway. Then you could keep all the trout you wanted, whatever the size. And you could catch lots of them there. Also remember Captain Charlie Brown and Hardhead. Shame the Sea-gun went downhill like it did. Wonder what happened?
Stan

[latetotheparty]

from what i remember, there was a group that came in and bought up the marina, restaurant, office, hotel building and then were trying to force the individual cottage owners to sell.... its been 10-12 years or better, but i do remember that my mom and the other cottage owners spent a ridiculous amount of money on lawyers fighting these guys ..... think they were trying to do the eminent domain thing or something similar..... and also know that THAT mess was why we got next to nothing for her cottage...... but at the time that was all that i could do ..... i knew she was never going back there and she needed the money for her care here...... i think that the last time i was there was probably mid-1998 and it was so so so sad to see how rundown and neglected the property was...... particularly with the memories of how GREAT it had been ......

no mistake about it though .... it was in severe decline by that time anyway .... i think that whoever owned it to that point just lost interest in it......

[brasscat]

I think that it's a shame that they are going to turn that land into a "luxury" development. Everyone has fond memories of the Sea Gun and it was because it was always an affordable family resort. It is a beautiful piece of property and should stay accessible to people of all income levels, not just those fortunate enough to afford a luxury condo.

..and by the way, the captain of the Whooping Crane was Captain Brownie, or Captain F.M. Brown, not Charlie Brown.

[Marlow]

..and by the way, the captain of the Whooping Crane was Captain Brownie, or Captain F.M. Brown, not Charlie Brown.

Melvin Brown. but he went by Brownie.