Whitecap North Padre Island, the first-ever master-planned community in Corpus Christi, has been under construction for about two and a half years. Azali Homes and Newcastle Homes were recently announced as the first two preferred home builders for five model houses.Right now, its five homes. Those will be the initial model homes. They will be built throughout the year. Were slated to complete construction by October, October or November of next year, and hopefully it will be in time for the fall tour of homes with the Coastal Bend Home Builders Association," Terence Johnson, the General Manager of Whitecap NPI said.Both Azali Homes and Newcastle Homes have prior experience building custom homes in the Coastal Bend.Good news, weve signed up our first two builders, Azali Custom Homes and Newcastle Homes, both local to Corpus Christi, and both have done a lot of work, custom homes, here on the island and in Corpus Christi," Johnson said.The Whitecap NPI development is part of a seven to ten-year project. Right now, the construction is still in phase one. Phase one includes vehicle/pedestrian bridges, the first 199 homes, and several amenities such as golf cart trails, boardwalks, and more. First bridge is complete. That bridge is complete with both a pedestrian trail, a pedestrian path, and a vehicular path. Our second bridge will be complete next week," Johnson said.Neighborhood News Reporter Erin Holly spoke to a builder from Azali Homes about what being involved in the Whitecap NPI model home construction means to their team.Its a new kind of innovative concept that has not been before in the Corpus area with the style of homes that are being built in the master-planned community, and were excited to kind of be part of that development," Karo Azali, a builder at Azali Homes said. "What makes these homes different from what you're typically seeing on the island and in other communities is going to be the contemporary design."Overall, the Whitecap NPI is designed to have about 620 single-family residential homes. The first 199 homes are part of phase one of construction. "Future phases will bring in another four hundred-something homes," Johnson said. "We're still in phase one right now. The timeline on phase one depends on home sales."While the development of the Whitecap NPI master-planned community is a complicated and timely project, General Manager Terence Johnson says it has many benefits for neighbors."The public preserve is a big deal. You get a lot of people coming in and bird-watching. And then, sll of the commercial and retail, I think this community is really waiting on that, you know, and that brings a lot of jobs, too," Johnson said.For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.