Vacant 1914 Texas courthouse moves closer to demo with $2M deal

The old Nueces County Courthouse—located at 1100 N. Mesquite St. in Corpus Christi—was built in 1914 and has largely remained vacant since 1977. A new $2-million funding agreement could help the county demolish the six-story building. 

The City of Corpus Christi Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #3 approved the $2-million agreement with the county on Tuesday. The county has until December 2028 to demolish the structure, or it will have to pay that funding back. 

Neighbors near the Mesquite Street structure have described it as an eyesore, but some are wary to believe it could soon face the wrecking ball, citing repeated attempts to do so in the past, as reported by KRIS. Others expressed disappointment that the building couldn’t be preserved and restored. 

The Texas Historical Commission removed a preservation easement from the Nueces County Courthouse in early 2025 after repeated efforts to restore the building had stalled. At that time, Chron reported that demolition estimates ranged between $1 million and $10 million. Prior renovation estimates have climbed as high as $100 million. 

At the Tuesday Corpus Christi TIRZ #3 meeting, County Judge Connie Scott said the demolition cost is likely to be “a much higher cost” than the $2-million.

“Coming into downtown Corpus Christi, I think (the courthouse is) the first thing anybody sees and I think it is in everyone of us here today’s best interest to go ahead and get that building demolished,” Scott said. 

A neoclassical style building, the courthouse housed county offices and the jail for decades until the county relocated to a newer facility at 901 Leopard St.

The century-old building also has a dark history, acting as a temporary morgue in the 1919 hurricane that was the deadliest storm to hit the city. As a result, the building became a ‘haunted landmark.’

“This grim association with death has led some to believe that the spirits of those who perished in the storm never truly left, their restless souls still lingering around the courthouse grounds,” RJA Ghost Tours wrote on its website.