Donations may support construction of a concession space at the new Bob Hall Pier
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to reflect the county’s revenue netted from the concession space. It is also updated to clarify the project’s categorization under federal funding.
Rebuilding a concession space for the new Bob Hall Pier may become a more likely prospect, despite being cut from last year's budget.
Nueces County Commissioner Brent Chesney — who has been the most adamant supporter on the court for its rebuild — is requesting permission to use about $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, as well as seeking non-county monetary contributions to support the project.
The budget to construct a third-party concession space is estimated to be about $2 million, Chesney told the Caller-Times on Monday.
If the court gives its blessing Wednesday for Chesney to pursue donations, it would mean private funds needed would amount to about $1 million.
A concession space — the existing one having been damaged, along with the rest of the pier, by Hurricane Hanna in 2020 — is an important element to include in the new pier, Chesney said.
“I think it’s a project that needs to be built,” he said. “All this is, is rebuilding something that (was) already there.”
Although using ARPA funds requires the court’s approval, Chesney said that in the past the court has been deferential to the requests of commissioners seeking to use the funding for eligible projects within their districts.
The majority of the $70 million awarded to the county went to countywide projects, such as fixes to the courthouse’s rooftop, he said.
Of the pool of funding, commissioners were also each allocated about $4 million for projects in their respective precincts, Chesney added.
His most recent allocation of funding went to a $1.5 million project to help address London-area drainage problems, he said.
The concession space project is eligible for ARPA funding because it would be considered revenue loss, wrote county grant consultants in a message to Chesney and Scott.
Of the $70 million in federal funding awarded to the county, as much as $10 million may be categorized as revenue loss projects such as the concession space, according to Chesney.
Should the court approve the item, it would represent $1 million of the total $10 million in the revenue loss category.
Bob Hall Pier suffered enough damage from the powerful waves wrought by Hurricane Hanna that it was eventually demolished.
Design plans to rebuild the structure on the shoreline of the Padre Island beach, approved by the court in the fall, had eliminated a concession space in a 3-2 vote.
Its rebuild has a $21.7 million budget.
At the time of the design discussions, Nueces County Judge Connie Scott cited the county’s tight budget and major pending projects as drivers to turn down a proposal that would have included the concession space as part of the pier’s rebuild plans.
Funding has been identified for those projects, Scott said on Wednesday.
She had in September voiced support for the possibility of a public-private partnership as an alternative means to fund the project.
Scott said Wednesday that any concerns she'd had were addressed.
She didn’t express reservations about the potential use of Chesney’s portion of ARPA funding or pursuing private contributions.
The previous occupant of the third-party concession space was popular fixture Mikel May’s Beachside Bar and Grill.
No one has been selected to operate a concession space at the pier, should one be developed.
Constructing a concession space would not impact the existing budget and is not anticipated to affect the timeline on the pier’s rebuild, said Chesney and Scott.
It is anticipated full design plans for the pier itself will be submitted March 1, according to county documents.
More: Here's what didn't make the cut for the new Bob Hall Pier
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Concession space at Bob Hall Pier may mean $1 million in donations
