Residents of Port Isabel will be getting new neighbors late next year as an ocean view gated community continues development. “Las Joyas at Port Isabel” which will host a 6-acre property on Highway 100, is being built by Paez Development, one of the leading developers in South Padre Island for more than 15 years, as a response to a rise in inquiries for affordable, life style-related housing and recreational needs in the area. “Basically the apartment complexes in Port Isabel are showing above ninety-five percent occupancy,” said Las Joyas PI Manager Pablo Paez, adding, “We have done market research studies that show that a lot of people working in the area are commuting back and forth from other areas in Cameron County even as far as Harlingen to get to work, so most of those people are living in those areas because they haven’t found residence here that is both available and affordable. The idea behind Las Joyas is to provide a home for them and others interested in living here.” The other target clientele is the winter Texans, who Paez says are showing a growing interest in living by the ocean. The project has been considered for over two years but the uncertain market delayed the idea’s progression. However, steady improvement in the South Texas economy was a major factor in moving the project forward. The homes will be assembled above TEMA construction regulations and the decisions for concrete pilings and a concrete foundation slab allow for a stable underpinning over the unsteady beach grounds. Because of recent weather, the roads being constructed within the gated community has slowed development, but the apartments are expected to be opened during the first trimester of next year.
Estevan Medrano
