Here's how the county may fund concession space at Bob Hall Pier.
Constructing concession space as part of the Bob Hall Pier rebuild may be in the cards – should enough private donations come in.
The Nueces County Commissioners Court on Wednesday gave its blessing for Commissioner Brent Chesney – whose precinct includes Bob Hall Pier – to request outside funding for the project.
The pier was severely damaged by Hurricane Hanna’s storm surge and powerful waves in 2020. The damage was substantial enough that the pier was demolished.
While work is already underway to rebuild the structure, commissioners decided in September to eliminate the concession feature from its design. Rebuilding the pier without a concession space was estimated to be about $21.7 million.
County officials at the time who voted down including the concession space as part of the pier’s design had expressed concerns about major projects that at the time remained pending and also needed funding.
Plans to finance the estimated $2 million concession space would be two-part.
Chesney would first need to fundraise $1 million before the project could be allocated $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding that was allocated to his precinct.
It’s an important project and one that matters for the county as a whole, Chesney said, adding that he receives calls from people across the precincts asking that a concession space be built because they “love having this opportunity to go and have a venue.”
“I’m going to ask everybody possible (for donations) who is willing to give,” he said.
Positive responses to the request would need to be brought back to the court.
The county was awarded $70 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Of those, each commissioner was allocated $4 million to spend within their district.
The concession space project is eligible for ARPA funding because it would be considered revenue loss, according to consultants.
How is the concession space used?
The concession space that had been part of the original Bob Hall Pier was previously occupied by the popular Mikel May’s Beachside Bar and Grill.
However, who would operate the concession space – or for what purpose – would not be determined at this point.
ARPA project manager Amanda Holton told the court the proposed new structure would be a “multipurpose building that the county can use at its discretion.”
Selection of a third-party operator would involve going out for bids, officials said, brokering a contract would be under the purview of the Nueces County Board of Coastal Parks.
It is not anticipated the proposal would impact either the pier’s rebuild timeline or the pier reconstruction budget, Chesney has said.
A decision on the ARPA funding would likely need to be made by the end of June to stay on track for federal funding deadlines, according to officials.
Scott noted it wasn’t a “done deal,” given the time available.
“This is a very short timeline to go out and try to raise money for this,” she said. “It needs to be moving forward if there’s any chance for it.”
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Nueces County seeking donations for concession space at Bob Hall Pier
