CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Wednesday, the Nueces County Commissioners Court voted to allow Bracewell LLP to draft a two-step process that will hopefully attract developers from around the country to bid on the property of the old Nueces County Courthouse.
The process that Bracewell LLP will draft will encourage developers to submit a request for information (RFI), and if those developers are approved, then they will submit a request for proposal (RFP).
“We don’t want it willy-nilly, and that’s exactly right. It’s got to be an incredibly thoughtful process,” said County Judge Barbara Canales, on the subject of the proposal.
The Courthouse has been a polarizing figure in Corpus Christi; some people want the historical site preserved, others want it torn down. Floyd Anderson is a local business owner who is in favor of the latter.
“I think they need to tear it down. I really do. I don't think they can save it,” he said. “I really believe it's time to tear it down. I just don't think it's feasible for any investors to come in and restore it. Although, I'd like to see the university come in and make it part of Texas A&M. That would be a nice deal.”
Since the building is a historical site, Anderson believes changes will be hard to make.
“They have to be approved by Austin because of the historical designation. It's a hard thing to overcome,” he said.
The Courthouse is one of the first things visitors see when entering Corpus Christi on the north side of town, and Anderson said it gives a bad first impression for the city.
“[Tourists] think it's a crappy place to be there. Driving in you have to see that. If they're going to leave it there, they need to fix it up. the county or city or somebody,” he said.
Canales, and the rest of the county commissioners, stressed the importance of bringing developers from around the country to check out the site, and hope Bracewell LLP will be able to attract those developers to the area.
