Diamond Beach Holdings, LLC and Ashlar Development LLC announced the opening of the canal connecting the bay and Whitecap NPI which features an extensive network of waterways within the 240-acre master-planned destination resort and residential community they are developing at the north end of Padre Island.

“This is an exciting time for us, bringing to life the network of canals that has long been our vision and painstaking design,” said Ashlar Development President Steve Yetts. “Constructing a system of canals linking the bay to the Intracoastal Waterway was itself a mammoth undertaking, but beginning to flow salt water into the canals animates and breathes life into them. This will make it obvious what a unique project Whitecap NPI is in so many ways. It is the only new Texas coastal community built around an extensive canal system that provides mobility throughout the development.”

Located within the city limits of Corpus Christi, just off the main intersection of Park Road and Highway 361, the Whitecap NPI site is at the gateway to the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world, the North Padre Island National Seashore. Home to a protected coastal environment, including 70 miles of preserved coastline, dunes, prairies, and tidal flats, it is a coveted destination for beach lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. The site is integral to the Gulf Coast prairies and marshes where surrounding waters provide a vital habitat for marine and terrestrial plants and animals year-round. Among the species native to the area are the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle and more than 380 types of migratory, overwintering, and resident birds.

When completed, the Whitecap NPI development is planned to include a diverse mix of more than 73 acres of residential housing (approximately 600 lots), which could range from single-family homes, villas, condos, and cross-generational housing. Its master plan includes a town center and mixed-use area expected to offer a variety of dining, entertainment, and retail options; a resort-style hotel; a luxury marina with state-of-the-art dry stack and boat storage; yacht club; and 40 acres of parks, ponds, and a nature preserve. The island oasis will be interconnected by walking paths, hike-and-bike trails, and of course, 50 acres of canals.

Last July, work began on The Preserve, an approximately- 30-acre wildlife haven at the heart of Whitecap NPI. The Preserve will be an ecological sanctuary for wildlife featuring freshwater ponds and native plants, including 245 palms relocated from the former water park site to begin habitat restoration. It will provide a natural habitat for resident, migrating, and neotropical birds and other forms of wildlife that frequent or migrate to the area. Its freshwater ponds and native dunes will be linked by trails, boardwalks, and a pedestrian bridge over the canals, and seating areas will allow visitors to relax and interface with nature.

Because of The Preserve’s proximity to the coast, it will be a haven for the Coastal Bend bird population and a resting and recharge point for migrating birds traveling the Central and Mississippi Flyway and those that have flown many miles over the Gulf of Mexico on their journey northward.

The Preserve will also be home to an outdoor education program aimed at fostering project-based learning opportunities and emphasizing their real-world relevance in education for residents, locals, and visitors to North Padre Island. Ashlar Development is already working with Flour Bluff ISD and kicked off its partnership last month by hosting a group of students and staff to observe firsthand the work underway in creating The Preserve.

“The filling of the canals also signals the next step toward planned features within the development, such as the marina, trail paths, and kayak and canoe launches,” said Yetts.

Whitecap NPI is accepting sales reservations for homesites in the first-of-its-kind Gulf Coast island community. The sales office at 14353 Commodores Drive in Corpus Christi is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Mondays by appointment only. For more information, visit www.WhitecapLivingNPI.com or call the Whitecap NPI Sales Gallery at (361) 600-7986.

About Ashlar Development LLC

Headquartered in Dallas, Ashlar Development LLC is the master developer of numerous, well-established, successful master-planned communities, including The Groves in Northeast Houston, Whitecap-North Padre Island, Nichols Vale in Middle Tennessee, and Wildridge in North Dallas. Combined, these four communities comprise nearly 6,000 homes on approximately 3,500 acres. For more information, visit https://ashlardev.com.

About Diamond Beach Holding LLC

Diamond Beach Holdings, LLC is a subsidiary of the International Bancshares Corporation, a multi-bank financial holding company headquartered in Laredo, Texas with 167 facilities and 257 ATMs servicing 75 communities in Texas and Oklahoma.