Style Destination

La Palmera: serving up the hottest summer fashion and entertainment

at MAC Cosmetics and Ulta Beauty; jeweland Body Works and White Barn Candle. By: Sarona Winfrey

And when the shopping is done, guests often stay and enjoy a refreshing beverage or delicious meal at one of La Palmera’s full-service restaurants inAnd although nobody can predict exactly what “back-to-school” will look like this year, the state of Texas has planned its annual sales tax holiday weekend Friday, Aug. 7, through Sunday, Aug. 9. Many residents and visitors alike wait for this weekend to stock up on clothing and other back-to-school necessities at La Palmera, including the latest clothes and shoes, school uniforms, athletic wear, backpacks and book bags, as well as haircuts, eyeglasses and dorm items.

La Palmera is doing its part to make the shopping experience as safe as possible.

As the summer sun heats things up outside, guests stay cool inside at La Palmera. And with so many retail and dining options, it remains the Coastal Bend destination for the hottest fashion trends and entertainment.

With the onset of COVID-19 came a new way of shopping, including reduced store hours, the required use of masks, a limited restaurant and social distancing.

La Palmera is also doing its part to make the shopping experience as safe as possible, providing hand-sanitizing stations at each entrance, posting safety tip signage throughout the mall and maintaining a more frequent cleaning schedule. This new schedule includes a periodic after-hours “deep clean” of the mall's common areas including restrooms, door handles, escalators and elevators, furniture surfaces and more.

Seeming to take the “new normal” in stride, shoppers have continued to make their way back to the mall in an effort to enjoy familiar activities, with many stocking up on seasonal styles from retailers including Buckle, H&M, Hollister, francesca’s and Van’s; summer makeup trends ry and accessories from Kendra Scott and Pandora; and seasonal scents from Bath

cluding LongHorn Steakhouse, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria and Chili’s Grill and Bar or one of the many quick-serve options in the cool and comfortable food court. Many are also enjoying the return of food and family entertainment options, such as at Dave & Buster’s.

number of shoppers in each store and

Tax-free items once again include most basic school supplies, as well as backpacks, clothing, shoes and many accessories priced under $100 used by elementary and secondary students. Shoppers will also find special deals at many stores whose merchandise does not qualify for tax-free status.

La Palmera is currently open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, with valet parking available at the mall’s main entrance near Grimaldi’s.

For more information, including a current list of retail and restaurant options, go to www.lapalmera.com, call 361-991-3755 or follow La Palmera on Facebook.

Larry Urban helped shape community development in the Coastal Bend for over five decades.

or over five decades, Larry Urban helped shape community development in the Coastal Bend. Even if you are not familiar with his name, you probably are familiar with his work. From the streets you drive on to the water flowing through your pipes to shopping centers and recreational facilities – Urban Engineering likely played a role in creating some of the infrastructure you encounter on a daily basis.

Urban Engineering has provided vital engineering and surveying services in Corpus Christi since Larry and his older brother, Gene Urban, founded this civil engineering company back in April 1965. On Jan. 25, 2020, almost 55 years later, Larry celebrated his 83rd birthday by retiring from Urban Engineering’s Corpus Christi office.

Starting a new business from the ground up is never easy, but even back in junior high and high school, the Urban brothers began making plans to establish their own firm. They found work at a local engineering and surveying company while still in school.

Both brothers joined the military after graduation, and, upon completing their service, were employed by the well-known engineering firm, McClendon and Associates. This led to them receiving their professional licenses and turning their dream of Urban Engineering into a reality.

Throughout its long history, Urban Engineering has gathered almost too many success stories to list. Notable projects include most of the subdivisions and infrastructure built in Corpus Christi since the 1970s. The company has also been involved in a large number of projects, including land planning, engineering financial analysis, construction management for subdivisions, shopping centers, industrial complexes, roads, airports, marine improvements, dredging projects, wastewater treatment facilities, drainage systems and water treatment, transmission and supply.

Larry holds a special interest in planning, designing and supervising the construction of planned community developments in the Coastal Bend, such as golf courses, marinas and tennis facilities. The impressive growth of this local business was due in part to the way the Urban brothers embraced change rather than fearing it. For example, as the company progressed, so did its use of technology. When Larry entered the profession, engineers relied on the slide rule, but he was quick to transition to newer, more advanced technologies like computers and satellites as they became available.

In fact, Larry worked with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s drone technology program. These drones became a great asset to engineers for streamlining collaboration and managing a more thorough record of site data and conditions from aerial surveys.

Of course, building a business is never smooth sailing. When the Savings and Loan Crisis hit in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Urban Engineering was forced to downsize from 93 to 29 employees in order to avoid bankruptcy.

On top of making the difficult decision to let go of employees who had been with them for years, the brothers were also struggling with a personal dilemma. During this same period, Gene was diagnosed with the disease that would eventually take his life in April 1999.

Despite turbulent times for the company and anticipating the painful loss of his brother and business partner, Larry continued to work hard and push through life’s hurdles so that the dream of Urban Engineering could live on.

For instance, Larry met and befriended Federico Zavala during a conference set up by the governor of Guanajuato, Mexico, and the governor of Texas to help engineers and surveyors find jobs. This led to numerous projects in

Find what you really love “ to do, and you’ll never have to work another day in your life.”

Mexico, including investigation for water recovery and treatment for the city of Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, and investigation for treatment of wastewater effluent for portable use in SAPAL of Leon, Mexico, which helped keep Urban Engineering in business.

“Going back over 50 years makes it difficult to put my finger on any specific accomplishments,” Larry said. He jokingly recalled being able to “wake up every morning to have a nice breakfast, go to the office, then go have lunch with my friends” as his greatest accomplishment.

In a more serious tone, however, he remarked that he does look back at all the wonderful people he’s met along the way and the many successful projects that he and his brother, Gene, were able to complete. He feels fortunate to have experienced it all.

Larry has confidently passed the company reins over to the next generation. Gene’s three sons, Chuck, Jim and Dan Urban, as well as Larry’s

Texas Society of Professional Engineers National Society of Professional Engineers Texas Society of Professional Surveyors Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Director, Youth City Director, American Bank, Corpus Christi, Texas Curriculum Advisor, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, Texas Curriculum Advisor, Texas A&M University-College Station Curriculum Advisor, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Director, Mustangs, Corpus Christi, Texas Chairman of the Board, Ada Wilson Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi, Board of Trustees, Executive Committee, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Recipient of the Russell Kirkland Award

Photo by TWINS Media

son, Rhodes “Chip” Urban, all became partners at Urban Engineering over the years. The company is presently owned in equal shares by Chip and Jim.

Larry hopes his children keep the same joy and passion for their work that always drove him to keep pushing forward. After all, he built his own career on the adage: “Find what you really love to do, and you’ll never have to work another day in your life.”

By instilling this work ethic in his children, Larry has raised a devoted architect, a successful engineer and a talented product designer. His days are filled with wonderful stories that his children are eager to share with him, making him a proud father.

Now that he is retired, Larry looks forward to spending more time with his family, including his wife, Karen, and their seven grandchildren.