CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces County officials opened seven competitive bids Thursday for the demolition and asbestos abatement of the 1914 Old County Courthouse, marking a significant step forward in a project years in the making.
The bids were submitted for IFB number 3345-26 by the 3:00 p.m. deadline, after which no additional bids were accepted. Commissioner Mike Pusley of Precinct One described the response as encouraging.
"The good thing is all of the bids except for one came in well within the budget or the kind of the value that we have been looking at and what we thought our engineers had projected the bid would be, so we're encouraged by that," Pusley said.
Pusley also noted the competitive nature of the process benefits the public.
"When you get that many bids, it's usually very competitive, and that's a good thing for taxpayers," Pusley said.
The bid opening was conducted according to formal procedures. Commissioner Pusley was joined by Peter Zanoni, City Manager for the City of Corpus Christi, for the formal proceedings.
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THE BASE BID AMOUNTS
- American Abatement $ 1,318,899.00
- Camacho Demolition, LLC. $ 1,208,441.00
- Coastal Bend Demolition, Inc. $ 1,610,000.00
- J.R. Ramon & Sons, Inc. $ 1,179,940.00
- RNDI Companies Inc. $ 1,373,270.00
- Robles1, LLC. $ 1,757,000.00
- White Star Services, LLC. $ 5,817,199.00
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Project management and oversight
Juan A. Pimentel, the county's public works director, will serve as oversight manager for the demolition project. Pusley said he will work alongside Pimentel given the courthouse's location within his precinct.
Hanson Engineering will provide engineering oversight, with Paul Pilarczyk serving as engineer director.
"Everything we do over there will be judged and looked after and pass through Hanson before we do anything," Pusley said.
Strict security measures planned for demolition site
Pusley addressed what he expects will be significant public interest in salvaging pieces of the historic building, making clear that removing materials from the site will not be allowed.
"I want to also tell all the bidders that probably like me you're gonna get 100 requests for people calling you wanting to have an old brick or an old piece of the old courthouse and unless we tell you differently that it's absolutely not permitted," Pusley said. "We don't want anything going off that site except what's gonna go to in that field."
What comes next
Thursday's bid opening does not constitute an award of contract. County staff and the purchasing department will review all bids and supporting documentation for compliance with solicitation requirements, evaluating which contractors adhere to the specifications drafted by the engineering firm.
A recommendation for conditional selection is expected to be presented to the Nueces County Commissioner's Court at the Oct. 14 meeting. Pusley expressed optimism about the overall timeline.
"I would hope that we would have all of that done before the end of October. We have 2 meetings in October and so I would hope by the last meeting in October that we would have this on the agenda," Pusley said.
If approved, demolition could begin before the end of the year, though Pusley acknowledged the holiday season can slow progress. The county projects demolition will begin after the first of the year, with completion expected by March or April at the latest.
A bittersweet milestone
Despite the forward momentum, Pusley acknowledged the emotional weight of demolishing the century-old building, which has been the subject of preservation efforts for decades. Structural and safety concerns ultimately led to the decision to tear it down.
"We're all very happy. This is going to be a good step for the community. This is, it's a sad day in one respect, and we appreciate that. We appreciate all the decades of work that went into trying to save this building, but it finally got to the point where that was not going to be possible," Pusley said. "So this is the best thing for our community."
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