The Nueces County Commissioners Court approved a partial design for the Bob Hall Pier on Wednesday after viewing the first renderings since commissioners decided to discontinue efforts to construct a second-story restaurant on the pier.
Jacobs Engineering Group provided an update on the $27.3 million project on Wednesday. The Corpus Christi landmark was destroyed by Hurricane Hanna in July 2020.
The Nueces County commissioners have approved $27.3 million for the project from sales of certificates of obligation, insurance settlements from hurricane damage and American Rescue Plan Act funds.
After hiring Hanson Professional Services as a consultant on the rebuild, commissioners voted in March to abandon their original plans for a second-story restaurant. The decision came after they learned that ARPA funds guidelines would only allow for reconstruction of an existing structure.
The project must be complete and operational by the end of 2026, per ARPA guidelines.
What’s in the design?
The updated design plans include a single-story restaurant, concession area and restrooms on either side of the pier entrance. Roll-down doors for security and weather protection were added to the concession and restroom entrances. Fish-cleaning stations were not indicated in the plans but will be included, senior project manager Louis Klusmeyer told commissioners at Wednesday’s meeting.
Other features include an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramp and a new Bob Hall Pier sign that could become a “vibrant community board,” according to Klusmeyer.
Commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with the pier portion of the designs with additional consideration of shade structures, seating and signage.
What’s next?
Precinct 4 Commissioner Brent Chesney suggested additional seating and shade structures along the pier and another look at the new Bob Hall Pier sign. The designer is expected to return to Commissioners Court with a 60% design for the project.
Previous designs for the sign ranged from entry monuments to an overhead structure similar to the original pier entrance.
The commissioners agreed to discuss the design and concerns surrounding insurance of the pier restaurant at their meeting on May 24.
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