County Commissioners approve invitation for bids for Bob Hall Fishing Pier reconstruction

The Nueces County Commissioner’s Court approved an invitation during Wednesday's meeting to begin advertising bids for reconstruction of the new Bob Hall Fishing Pier on April 1.

The court voted unanimously on the decision, which would authorize a purchasing agent to publish a notice, opening the bid for public purchase.

The decision comes after three years of project negotiations, public input and discussion after preliminary designs were first presented to the Nueces County Commissioners in 2021. The pier was severely damaged by Hurricane Hanna in 2020, and a structural engineering inspection determined that the 70-year-old pier was no longer safe for public use.  As a result, engineering firms were hired to complete design plans for the demolition of the old structure and the rebuild of a new structure.

The court’s approval to open a public Invitation for Bidding (IFB) at the beginning of April were contingent upon whether design plans would be finalized by the end of March.

Up until the time of Wednesday's meeting, the Nueces County Board of Park Commissioners was awaiting a final project cost, as well as completion of a technical review that was submitted to Jacobs, the engineering firm, to approve the design at 100%.

Representatives of the Nueces County Board of Parks Commissioners met Monday afternoon at the Padre Balli Park Office Conference Room to review and finalize the bid structure, which will involve soliciting a single contractor to provide a cost for the base bid items—concrete and steel construction materials for the pier itself, the county concessions building and civil, utilities, wastewater and electrical services. They voted to approve to advertise the project during that meeting.

After Jacobs presented the final phase of the design plan to LAN on March 1, the management team returned 154 comments to the firm through email within a week with questions regarding structural details. All of the questions have been answered and the budget tabulated, with the contract specifications and documents to be addressed, signed, sealed and delivered to the County Purchasing Agent, Michael Robinson, by the end of the week, said Scott Harris, regional manager of LAN's Corpus Christi office.

The bid will now open May 9, with the project team reconvening at the Commissioner's Court meeting on May 22. If the Court chooses a contractor on that day, it could mean that long-awaited plans to rebuild the pier could begin this summer.

The projected total construction cost of Bob Hall Fishing Pier is $24 million, which includes $2.35 million for a temporary trestle for construction purposes that does not appear in the final design engineer’s contract documents. That would put the total cost at about $21 million, though that could change depending on the contractor’s specifications, Harris said.

The county has committed $27.3 million to the budget, of which $2.85 million and $2.97 million have been spent on court-approved professional services and demolition costs, respectively, leaving $21.5 million in funding available for construction.

The IFB proposal structure gives the selection committee the option to select a second lowest bidder to spearhead the construction if the lowest bidder is deemed to be less qualified.

Key features of the new Bob Hall pier include a 1,253-foot-long, 18.5-foot tall, 20-foot-wide pier trestle designed to withstand 150-mile-per-hour winds. A 159-foot by 48.7-foot half-diamond pier head replaces the angular T-Head that was totaled by the hurricane, and a pier deck will provide 3,364 square feet of public space that could accommodate a future third-party concession next to the pier.

Designers sought to channel the original pier layout, with proposed renovations to the existing pavilion paying tribute to the open-air design and boardwalk, while a stiffer foundation in the public space and deck that includes pop-up timber deck panels and a guardrail would allow food trucks to drive up the ramp. Amenities include an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramp and railing, two fish cleaning stations, area lighting, and the original Bob Hall Pier Entry sign. Two sets of men’s and women’s restrooms will be located in and outside of the paid area of the pier.

The pier is designed to have a 50-year shelf life, meaning that routine maintenance may be required to prevent erosion or degradation, but the structural elements will be intact.

While the pier measurements have not changed since the project was initiated, commissioners had questions about some of the design specifications, including the ability of the pier to weather a 100-year storm, as well as the selection of timber rather than concrete for the deck. Harris reassured them that the design is intended for coastal conditions and that the pier's height is designed to withstand hurricane-force waves.

The Court also voted on Wednesday to approve allocating or reallocating from Precinct 4 and any other American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to the Bob Hall Pier Third Party Concessionaire and any donations made by outside entities to the Third Party Concessionaire.

With about $3.6 million listed in the construction budget for a restaurant building and buildout, Precinct 4 Commissioner Brent Chesney was actively seeking money and donations for third-party concessionaires. The Court requested an additional $1 million in funds at a previous meeting for a third-party concessionaire, receiving news on Tuesday that the Port of Corpus Christi would donate $500,000 for that goal.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, the Court voted that $500,000 in ARPA funds − $325,000 from Precinct 4 Commissioner Brent Chesney and $175,000 allocated by County Judge Connie Scott − along with the Port's donation, could go toward the concession.

The Public Space in the design plan could accommodate a Third-Party Concession in the future, though the design of the building is not included in the design documents, because the project team was awaiting approval for construction of the new building at the time.

Not included in the budget are shade structures and furnishings, benches and safety additions that were part of the original proposed layout. These items are included in the plan as allowances that the board will decide to build if county funding is available.

Through a potential agreement, the contractor would provide the Nueces County Board of Parks with estimated costs for rehabilitation of the pavilion, the NOAA platform, and sleeves on the steel piles as additive alternates. The board would determine whether the members want to commit to a rehabilitation.

The pier’s substructure will feature dual steel piles that will be spaced 33 apart to conform to ASTM standards and coated to protect against corrosion. The project design was originally slated to be built with single piling before members of the surfing community voted to oppose the design, arguing that it would destroy sandbars beside the pier and ruin the coastal waves. The beams will be precast, sulfate-resistant concrete to prevent erosion.

More: The port is pledging funds for Bob Hall Pier. Here's why that matters.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: County Commissioners approve invitation for bids for Bob Hall Pier