Rockport Businesses Focus on Recovery
ROCKPORT – When Hurricane Harvey made landfall Friday, the city of Rockport took a direct hit. Residents didn’t just lose their homes, many lost their livelihoods.
Despite Harvey’s destruction, business owners are working on plans to keep their town a popular tourist destination.
“People have come for generations to go fishing, go to the beach and learn to water ski,” said Rockport business owner, Rusty Day.
Day is one of the many business owners focusing on the reopening date of his bed and breakfast, Angel Rose.
His hospitality business has been standing for 130 years. Every quarter it contributes about $2,000 - $4,000 to hotel-motel revenues.
This fiscal year, the city of under 11,000 raised $875,000 in these revenues.
Every year, Day’s remodeled Victorian hotel grosses about $100,000. It’s one reason Day was pleased when he walked through the doors.
“When I saw that the bones of the house were here, and especially when I got inside I saw what little damage there was inside the house. We can make this go real easy. We’re going to have this thing up and running pretty shortly,” said Day.
A look around town can be discouraging to many, but not to Day.
“People will continue to come here. And I just encourage those folks who have businesses to find an alternate location for their business until they can reopen their existing location,” he said.
There were talks about new development in Rockport before Harvey rolled in.
Day, who also works on city council, hopes his plans move forward. He wants to see Rockport thrive once more.
He said he and his wife will be moving forward with a master plan that was crafted by a historic home architect.