By ABBEY KUNKLE
Special to the PRESS
Tuesday morning, the South Padre Island Economic Development welcomed Thor Lassen, President of Ocean Trust, who has a record of building fishery, wildlife and marine conservation partnerships in the public and private sector, to discuss options for development of the 0.6 acre tract of land sitting adjacent to the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center.
The land in question is considered a wetland and has been previously permitted for building with the requirement to complete $75,000 in mitigation projects to reduce environmental damage. An aquarium was discussed in the past, but with a $10 million price tag, it was determined that the project was not feasible at the time. Since then, Ocean Trust has been preparing other options for development of the area.
Lassen joined the board for a presentation regarding a proposed Gulf of Mexico Nature Center. He is currently working on the Native Plant Center on County property located within the Island and has been working with the City on options to develop the property in front of the Birding and Nature Center. With the Laguna Madre region’s unique environment, Lassen considered a variety of opportunities, ultimately honing in on an ecotourism destination, creating a Gulf of Mexico Nature Center to feature fish and wildlife from the area, while the Birding and Nature Center, the Native Plants Center, and Sea Turtle Inc. sit in close proximity. Lassen discussed potential partners, including the Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) and Sea Turtle Inc.The land in question is considered a wetland and has been previously permitted for building with the requirement to complete $75,000 in mitigation projects to reduce environmental damage. An aquarium was discussed in the past, but with a $10 million price tag, it was determined that the project was not feasible at the time. Since then, Ocean Trust has been preparing other options for development of the area.
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