CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — After reaching out to the Corpus Christi community about ways to improve the Cole Park Pier, the city is set to begin accepting construction bids in November, with the project to begin by the start of the new year.
The existing 50-year-old pier was deemed unsafe in April 2018, after inspection showed it could not be repaired.
For many residents, Cole Park Pier has been a community staple, and many are ready for it to reopen.
"I would like to see it fixed, and a lot of people that come down here for vacation, they also use it," said longtime fisherman Walter Briones.
Briones has been fishing on the pier since he was a teenager. Since the pier has been closed, he still fishes in the area near the Bayfront, but is ready to see the new-and-improved pier.
"I think if they can get it rebuilt, it will add to what we have to offer here in Corpus Christi," he said.
Asst. City Manager Keith Selman said there were a lot requests in common for what the new pier should include.
"They were asking for shade structures, asking for room to fish. . . .(for) it to be a little bit wider," Selman said. "Making sure we had fish-cleaning stations."
The design process for the new pier has been underway, but isn't yet finalized.
The city's website, however, does give residents a glimpse of what the pier will look like come Summer 2021.
