CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The US Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have closed the civil rights complaint filed against the city over its plans for a desal plant near the Hillcrest neighborhood and will take no further action.
The complaint was filed by a group of Hillcrest residents back in 2022.
In a letter from Sept. 20, the HUD states, "Portions of the complaint are being administratively closed. The decision to close the case is based upon the fact that a discriminatory act has not occurred in the program or activity receiving Federal Financial Assistance from HUD, meaning the claim is premature."
Nonprofit environmental law group Earthjustice -- which is representing the Hillcrest Resident Association and Citizens Alliance for Fairness and Progress -- received the letter.
Earthjustice Senior Attorney Erin Gaines said she was disappointed with the decision.
"They did not make a determination on the merits of the discrimination complaint, just determined it was premature," she said.
A second letter from the DOJ which was also investigating a portion of the complaint stated, "Our office has determined the DOJ will take no further action on this complaint at this time."
"It's not premature, you can look to the City's actions, the City is moving full-speed ahead on this," Gaines said. "They just chose the contractor, putting millions of dollars towards plans, purchasing the lands."
The City continues to move forward with an Inner Harbor Seawater Desalination Treatment Plant at the corner of Nueces Bay Boulevard and West Broadway as an answer to help make sure the area has an adequate future water supply.
The City is waiting on one of two permits needed, the discharge permit.
The $700 million plant will produce 30 million gallons of water per day.
The effort has been met with opposition by environmental groups.
"It's destructive to our neighborhood and our environment," Rev. Henry Williams, who represents the Hillcrest Resident Association, said.
Williams believes the placement of new industry could force out remaining residents of the historically Black neighborhood.
"Over 100 of us homeowners who are living in our homes and intend to stay here, we are encouraging our attorneys to continue to file whatever legal remedies are available to them," he said.
Gaines said she has sent a letter back to HUD asking to reconsider and reopen the complaint.
3NEWS reached out to Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni who sent the following statement:
"Over the past five years, the City has been engaging the residents of Hillcrest through various forums to ensure that we hear their concerns and work together to meet the needs of those who live and have lived there.
We care about the people of Hillcrest. This is why the City has spent the last two years working with residents, federal agencies, and state agencies to develop and fund a nearly $28 million plan to improve four parks in and near Hillcrest.
Those parks include Dr. H.J. Williams, T.C. Ayers, Ben Garza and Washington Cole Parks.
Most of the $28 million in park improvements is fully designed with the request for construction bids to be issued in the coming months and before the end of 2024.
Improvements include an outdoor aquatics center at T.C. Ayers Park, only the second outdoor pool to be built in Corpus Christi in the last 50 years (the first currently is being constructed at Bill Witt Park).
We intend to demonstrate our care for the community further into 2025 with planned City facilitated discussions with the residents on a shared vision for the neighborhood.
Work for the facilitated planning and strategy effort already has begun with City Manager bi-monthly meetings with the President of the Hillcrest Residents Association, Reverend Henry Williams, and his board members.
This effort will continue until the Hillcrest community and the City develop a comprehensive, mutually agreeable plan to move the neighborhood forward.
We respect the right of an individual or an association to voice their opinion to any local, state or federal agency.
The City's job is to listen to these concerns and to respond to an agency's request for information.
We are confident the process works in these situations, and we will continue to do our best to meet the needs of the community."