Posted on December 24, 2020
Padre Island’s shoreline will never look the same.
The county’s long-loved Bob Hall Pier will come down, and a new pier come up in its place, commissioners decided Friday.
The replacement will be “bigger, better, stronger,” said Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales.
The option to raze and rebuild the pier has been in discussion for months. But Friday made it official.
Damage to the pier from Hurricane Hanna’s lunging waves and high seas totaled in the millions of dollars – the most visible injury being the T-head at the end of the pier.
It disappeared in the water as the storm moved into the Port Mansfield area July 25.
Pier demolition and reconstruction is estimated at about $13 million, while repairing the existing structure is estimated at about $9 million, according to a presentation shown to commissioners. A new concession stand would ring in at about $1.5 million.
Overall, the project – to include items such as replacing the parking lot – could end up costing between $15 million and $19 million, said Nueces County Commissioner Brent Chesney.
Part of the appeal of reconstructing entirely is to extend the pier’s lifespan by building the structure to withstand future storms, officials have said.
There had been hope for committed funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
While their request hasn’t been formally denied, Canales said, they had “been given a lot of signals” that the agency believes the state damage threshold required to unlock those funds hasn’t been met.
The vote Friday was broad – commissioners will continue to pursue FEMA funding, as well as grants, to bankroll the project. Also being explored are certificates of obligation.
The county is putting together an ad hoc committee to help oversee the project.
“We’re going to have tons of opportunity for public input on this,” Chesney said. “Because it’s the community’s pier, not our pier.”
Source: caller
