CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - s4story -- The Olive Garden ground lease at South Coast Plaza was named the 2026 Lease of the Year CoStar Impact Award winner in the Corpus Christi market. Winners—chosen for their growth, diversification and ability to overcome unique challenges in their markets—were selected from a panel of more than 600 industry professionals drawn from each respective market.

The award-winning ground lease represents a transformative redevelopment at South Coast Plaza, where a former Johnny Carino's restaurant site is being redeveloped into a new approximately 7,825 square foot Olive Garden restaurant at 1625 S. Padre Island Drive. Brokered on behalf of the landlord by Lynann Pinkham of Cravey Real Estate Services, Inc., the transaction repositioned a legacy restaurant property through a long-term lease with one of the nation's most recognized full-service dining brands.

The project required demolition of the former structure and includes development of Olive Garden's newest restaurant prototype, featuring modernized building systems, enhanced kitchen infrastructure and dedicated pickup and to-go parking designed to support evolving consumer demand. The transaction also involved landlord participation in construction costs and extensive coordination related to site planning, utility upgrades and redevelopment logistics.

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Beyond the property itself, the lease has served as a catalyst for broader revitalization at South Coast Plaza and along the South Padre Island Drive retail corridor. Olive Garden's commitment signals continued confidence in the Corpus Christi market, while the project has contributed to increased leasing momentum, strengthened long-term occupancy and reinforced the shopping center's position as a key retail destination in the region.

"This transaction represents much more than a lease — it reflects the power of strategic redevelopment and the continued strength of the Corpus Christi retail market," said Lynann Pinkham, Broker Associate at Cravey Real Estate Services, Inc. "Olive Garden's decision to expand at South Coast Plaza is a strong vote of confidence in this corridor, and we are honored this project has been recognized for its impact. We believe this redevelopment will create lasting value for the property, the surrounding trade area and the broader community."

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The CoStar Impact Awards recognize exemplary commercial real estate transactions and projects completed in 2025 that have significantly influenced neighborhoods or submarkets across 129 major international markets in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The awards honored over 300 winners for their CRE transactions across five categories: Lease of the Year, Sale/Acquisition of the Year, Commercial Development of the Year, Multifamily Development of the Year and Redevelopment of the Year.

To learn more about the CoStar Impact Awards and review the full list of winners, visit www.CoStarImpactAwards.com/.