A proposed concession space being included as a feature of the new Bob Hall Pier is becoming a more promising possibility.
It’s anticipated that the Nueces County Commissioners Court on Wednesday will consider allocating federal American Rescue Plan Act funding toward the project, and also consider acceptance of private monetary contributions needed to make the project a reality.
The Nueces County Commissioners Court had previously axed the concession space feature from the larger reconstruction project, citing financing concerns amid a fiscal year budget shortfall.
In September, the cost of the pier rebuild – without including the concession space – was estimated at $21.7 million.
Like the rest of the pier, what had been the existing concession space suffered severe damage wrought by Hurricane Hanna in July 2020.
About $1 million in ARPA funding allocated to Chesney’s precinct was identified for the project earlier this year.
Court members agreed to support Chesney’s requested $1 million in ARPA funds to the prospective project – with the contingency that $1 million in private contributions be raised first.
It appears that the court’s funding terms will likely be met, in large part by a $500,000 grant from the Port of Corpus Christi Authority.
In an agenda memo, port officials wrote that before the storm, the “venue attracted many thousands of visitors each year, including local families and tourists drawn to our scenic beaches.”
“Its presence was integral to the prosperity of Nueces County as a whole,” the port document states.
Approved by port commissioners Tuesday, the funding would be drawn from the agency’s promotion and development fund.
The $500,000 approved unanimously by commissioners Tuesday has a stipulation – that the remaining $500,000 of the $1 million needed to match the ARPA funding be raised.
Chesney, responding to port commissioners, expressed confidence that the $500,000 would be secured.
The port’s grant “will be put to good use,” he said, addressing the commission.
Additional ARPA funding has been found, Chesney wrote in a message to the Caller-Times on Tuesday morning. “I will be making that motion tomorrow,” he wrote, adding that Nueces County Judge Connie Scott has “been instrumental in helping me with the Port and finding additional ARPA funds.”
More:Here’s how the county may fund concession space at Bob Hall Pier.
More:Here’s what didn’t make the cut for the new Bob Hall Pier
