The decades-vacant 1914 Nueces County Courthouse is set for demolition as officials secure funding, aiming to revitalize downtown Corpus Christi.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The old Nueces County Courthouse is one step closer to being torn down after the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone #3 board voted Tuesday to amend its financing plan to help fund the project.
The TIRZ board approved a resolution amending the TIRZ 3 financing plan, creating a program specifically for demolishing the 1914 courthouse. Under the deal, $2 million in TIRZ funding will go to the county to pay for the work, distributed in two separate payments rather than the originally planned three.
The board also voted to allow contributing entities to apply for reimbursement of up to $2 million upon completion of the demolition.
Officials estimate the full project could cost as much as $12 million. While a final price has not been set, county leaders say they hope to begin the process in the near future.
Nueces County Judge Connie Scott said the county is committed to moving forward.
“We are committed to tearing it down. We are committed to coming up with additional funds,” Scott said. “If we need to go after other people and search other funds later on, we will, but we want to get started.”
Scott noted the $2 million will not cover the full cost of demolition but expressed hope it would be enough to see the project through.
“Anticipation and early cost estimates tell us that it’s going to be much more than that,” she said. “We hope that this gets us to the finish line and we’re able to get this completed in record time.”
As for what comes next for the property, Scott said no plans have been finalized.
“There are no plans as of yet. We need to get it cleared out and cleaned out and see what else is going to happen with everything downtown,” she said, pointing to ongoing changes in the area including the demolition of the old Harbor Bridge. “We’re just moving forward — first we’ll think about the future plans.”
The former courthouse has sat vacant for decades and has been the subject of repeated discussions over redevelopment and demolition. County leaders say tearing down the structure is a key step toward improving safety, visibility and future development opportunities in downtown Corpus Christi.