CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — County commissioners voted Friday to demolish and rebuild the pier and concession stand. The structure has been off-limits to the public after it was heavily damaged in Hurricane Hanna.
The outcome came today in a specially held commissioners court meeting in which the court heard from several people who believe a brand-new pier is the right choice.
Repair or rebuild were the options in front of county commissioners who ultimately decided on construction of a new Bob Hall Pier.
"I can only imagine how beautiful this will be," said Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales.
“This is an iconic structure for Corpus Christi for tourism,” said Mayor Elect Paulette Guajardo.
Several people voiced their support during public comment from Mayor Elect Paulette Guajardo to the owner of Mikel May's restaurant, a tourist hotspot that like the rest of the battered pier remains unused since Hanna.
“This decision directly impacts me and my business financially as well as the future of the 70 employees who are eager to return to their jobs at Mikel Mays,” said May Nardone owner of Mikel Mays.
A representative with Jacobs Engineering Group hired to inspect the structure following the storm, gave a report on the extent of the damage.
The destroyed t-head and the missing deck panels can be seen from these pictures. But the assessment of the pier which was originally build back in 1982 also showed that the beams are in poor condition.
Nueces County ESD #2, engineers survey Bob Hall Pier
The engineering firm even showed pictures of what a brand-new pier could look like. One that would be at a higher elevation to withstand hits during big storms. Another option would to include a d head shape rather than a t-head.
The estimated cost to design and build a new pier about 13 million dollars if not more. The commissioners still holding out hope that they would be able to get help from FEMA with that massive cost. County Judge Barbara Canales stressed that the pier was not insurable.
“It appears we will have an opportunity to appeal if we are formally denied, we have not been formally denied yet. But we have been given a lot of signals that this threshold has not been met,” said Canales.
The court is now also looking at all funding sources for the project. From grants to borrowing the money. Doing what they can to lessen the burden on taxpayers by also trying to refinance old debt. They're hopeful the new pier could be constructed by 2022.
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