AQUA BOOK 2015 | Page 39

Major Corpus Christi Industrial Projects According to the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Corporation, those more than 100 industrial projects are slated to bring a total of over $30 billion in capital investment to the area. When completed, those manufacturing facilities will together create 1,500 to 1,700 permanent, highly paid jobs. According to a recent study by Lee (2014), the large number of capital projects within the Corpus Christi Port District will require a total of about 1,300 construction and craft workers per year on average through the end of 2017. Between 2014 and 2018, those industrial projects alone are expected to add a cumulative total of over 3,500 jobs to the Coastal Bend, or 1.4 percent of the regional workforce. As Lee (2015) pointed out, much of the job growth in the Coastal Bend during 2014 occurred in the construction sector as the regional impact of the Eagle Ford Shale peaked out. Moreover, the regional economic impact of ongoing construction activity is sufficient to offset most of the adverse effects associated with currently low oil prices. . . .much of the job growth in the Coastal Bend during 2014 occurred in the construction sector as the regional impact of the Eagle Ford Shale peaked out. Annual Review of South Texas Economy PARADIGM SHIFT Source: Port of Corpus Christi Authority. 37