CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Texas Avenue off of South Staples Street has been torn up for a number of weeks. Recently, patients at APN Healthcare, located at that intersection, have had trouble safely getting into the building.
“We have to park across the street or across Staples (Street) on the other side and that’s kind of dangerous for people my age, especially,” Vilma Garcia, one of the patients of the health clinic said.
Garcia has been frustrated by the construction. The road has been dug out and sidewalks removed. If you try to walk across the construction there's about a one and a half feet drop from the edge of the road.
There’s a clear path through the dirt that leads into the parking lot behind the clinic, but not everyone can access it. If they can, nurse practitioner at the clinic, Kristin Lucio said they get blocked in there for hours.
“My car’s low and so I can’t get in. I don’t walk very well, so that doesn’t help much," Garcia said.
Patients have been parking at the Valero Gas Station across the street or the shopping complex catty corner to the clinic across South Staples Street.
“There’s a big patient safety issue. They blocked off the street. They’ve torn up the sidewalks. We have a lot of patients that are in wheelchairs, or walkers, or don’t ambulate well. So, they can’t safely get into the facility for their medical care,” Lucio said.
The dentistry practice in the same building is impacted the same way. There’s also apartments on the same block. The construction is forcing residents to park elsewhere and walk farther to their homes.
Lucio said because the road is nonexistent, trash collection hasn't been possible and the trash behind the clinic has piled up.
She added patients have started to cancel appointments because of the construction woes. That’s prompted her to reach out to the city about the project.
"I believe his name was Alex and he’s in charge of this project out here. He was very understanding. He said he was going to have an urgent meeting with the contractors out here to try to find a resolution. I know our landlord, that owns the facility, has spoken to the city as well,” Lucio said.
KRIS 6 News also reached out to city staff about the project, but did not hear back on Friday.
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