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County receives grant for old courthouse

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The old Nueces County Courthouse could still have a future.

County officials want to sell the property, and they’re doing their best to help the process along.

While the old courthouse is an eyesore to many, it is on the state historical registry.  Recently, the Texas Historical Commission awarded Nueces county a $150,000 grant to get the building ready for another potential sale.

The money is for a stabilization plan and comprehensive engineering assessment.  The county wants to be able to give a potential developer a full report on the building’s current condition, and how much re-purposing the building will cost.

The old courthouse has extensive damage, and repairs are expected to run in the millions of dollars.

The grant is part of $12.3 million for Texas from the National Parks Service to preserve historic buildings in disaster affected areas.

The commission chose the old courthouse as its example project, and officials are taking advantage.

“Typically grant applications can take anywhere from six months to a year, so this is actually pretty fast-tracked,” said Maria Bedia, Grant Administrator for Nueces County.  “We’re excited to get started now that we know we do have their approval, we can do things in the background.”

The Texas Historical Commission is still accepting grant applications.  The majority will be announced sometime after the commission’s meeting in late July.

County officials say once they have the money… The project goes out for bid.

The Texas Historical Commission has also offered to fund a new feasibility study, to specifically look at whether the courthouse could be converted into a hotel.