The rebuilding of Bob Hall Fishing Pier will now begin after the Nueces County Commissioners announced a notice to proceed on construction of the facility on North Padre Island.
The building contractor, Callan Marine, will have just under 460 days to complete the $28.5 million project, which follows three years of project negotiations, public input gathering and discussion on the design that was presented to the Nueces County Commissioners in 2021.
Corpus Christi and Padre Island residents have awaited the reconstruction of the 70-year-old pier since it was severely damaged by Hurricane Hanna in 2020. A structural engineering inspection determined the pier was no longer safe for public use, and engineering firms were hired to complete design plans for demolition of the old structure and to rebuild a new facility with a 50-year lifespan that could weather a 100-year storm. It will sport a pier trestle designed to withstand 150-mile-per-hour winds.
“For the island and much of the community, Bob Hall Pier was a very emotional part of their lives,” said Nueces County Precinct 4 Commissioner Brent Chesney, who made the announcement last Friday, Aug. 23. “Living through having to rebuild Port Aransas and Bob Hall Pier is daunting, but I’m very excited because I think it’s going to be bigger, stronger and cooler. Everyone I’ve heard from is very excited.”
He emphasized that the expected date of completion will be measured in calendar days rather than business days, and that the contractor met with the purchasing agent to determine the proper time frame for completing it as quickly as possible.
The new pier will channel the look and layout of the original pier, with proposed renovations to the existing pavilion paying tribute to the open-air design and boardwalk, and a stiffer foundation in the public space and deck to include pop-up timber deck panels and a guardrail to allow food trucks to drive up the ramp.
The pier’s substructure will feature dual steel piles that will be spaced 33 feet apart to conform to ASTM standards and coated to protect against corrosion. Amenities will include an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramp and railing, two fish cleaning stations and area lighting. Two sets of men’s and women’s restrooms will be located inside and outside of the paid area of the pier.
The total project cost includes demolition and soft costs—the architecture and engineering design, permits and legal fees, among other costs—and the base bid work that includes the concrete and steel construction materials for pier itself, county concessions building and civil, utilities, wastewater and electrical services.
The contractor is responsible for rebuilding the County Concession Building, which includes the substructure and building architecture, mechanical, electrical and plumbing. The existing pavilion space that housed the former Mikel May’s restaurant will be rehabilitated to provide the space for a future restaurant.
Many Corpus Christi residents and tourists have expressed a desire for a new restaurant to be built at the pier since the former longtime eatery was destroyed.
An original cost estimate set the restaurant building and buildout at about $3.6 million.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Brent Chesney actively sought money and donations for third-party concessionaires in March, securing about $2 million in funds earlier this year through donations, including $500,000 from the Port of Corpus Christi and $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The court hired a consultant to advise on the rebuilding of the restaurant, voting in March to abandon original plans for a second-story restaurant after learning that ARPA fund guidelines would only allow for reconstruction of an existing structure.
Chesney said the restaurant did not get approved as quickly as the pier, but the architect and design team will now meet to design the third-party concessionaire, which will involve a decision on whether to demolish the current pavilion and rebuild a new 5,000-square-foot building on the concrete foundation or renovate the 2,500-square foot space as it stands today and add an additional 2,500 square feet.
“The vast majority of people on the island wanted a restaurant, and people come from all over the country to eat at that pier,” he said. “The bottom line is the restaurant is fully funded and the pier is fully funded. The notice to proceed has been issued, so the clock’s ticking, and we’re moving forward.”
The total project cost of Bob Hall Fishing Pier is more than the cost estimate put forth at the meetings of the Nueces County Coastal Parks Board.
At a special meeting held in March with Jacob Engineering, during which the board reviewed technical design drawings put forth by Jacobs Engineering, the cost of construction totaled $24 million, which included $2.35 million for a temporary trestle for construction purposes that did not appear in final design engineer’s contract documents, and that would have put the total cost at about $21 million, though Scott Harris, the regional manager of LAN’s Corpus Christi office, confirmed at that time that the cost could change depending on the contractor’s specifications. The manager could not be reached for comment to provide an update on the project cost.
Chesney noted that the commissioners did not obtain funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support the project, and that the cost would support demolition and soft costs to ensure that the new design adheres to a higher standard and that routine maintenance and operations can be performed to ensure structural elements stay intact to preserve the facility’s 50-year shelf life.
The Commissioner’s Court approved an invitation for bid (IFB) at their meeting in March, authorizing a purchasing agent to publish a notice of invitation for bids and begin advertising bids for reconstruction on April 1, with bidding opening on May 9.
The IFB proposal structure gave the selection committee the option to select a second lowest bidder to spearhead the construction if the lowest bidder was deemed to be less qualified. The court gave conditional approval to Callan Marine to rebuild the pier.
With the long-awaited plans to rebuild the pier now in motion, some ideas that were proposed could also be added to the final design. Shade structures and furnishings, as well as benches and safety additions that were part of the original proposed layout, are not included in the budget. However, they will be included in the plan as allowances that the board will decide to build if county funding is available. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather platform is also in the plan and will be built if the agency provides funding.
More: County Commissioners approve invitation for bids for Bob Hall Fishing Pier reconstruction
More: The port is pledging funds for Bob Hall Pier. Here’s why that matters.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Notice to proceed issued to begin rebuilding Bob Hall Fishing Pier