12 Nov Demolition Underway on Historic 1914 Nueces County Courthouse

Asbestos removal has begun at the 1914 Nueces County Courthouse in Corpus Christi, the first step toward tearing down the building following lengthy debate about its future, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

County Commissioner Mike Pusley said the abatement is running a little earlier than planned. When it is finished, demolition will start with the interior.

Nueces County commissioners signed off on a $1.3 million agreement with Camacho Demolition LLC on Oct. 14, and 130 days is the time allowed once its coverage and documentation are finalized, according to KIII. Crews have been hauling out debris, and the building will then come down from the top, with the contract requiring removal of everything to five feet below ground, foundation included. The job should wrap up in early 2027. The site is fenced and open only to contractors, Pusley said, because of asbestos exposure concerns and the county’s possible liability.

In May, the Corpus Christi Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 3 committed $2 million to the demolition. Nueces County has until Dec. 31, 2028, to finish or must repay those funds. The county’s Public Works department supervises the work, and Hanson Professional Services Inc. is the engineer, county records show.

Pusley and Judge Connie Scott jointly pursued the Texas Historical Commission’s approval for demolition, after agreeing the building was beyond restoration. Pusley said restoring it might exceed $100 million, a figure he gave in his October State of the County speech. He called the building an “eyesore” that the community wants gone. “I have a lot of mixed emotions about it, but it’s time,” he said.

Camacho Demolition was also tasked with finding pieces of cultural, historic or architectural value, though Pusley said little remains to salvage because of age, deterioration and vandalism. The county is also assembling a memorial volume combining photos, narratives and facts about the courthouse. Pusley said memorabilia could be displayed at libraries of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Del Mar College and at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin.

After the building comes down, the county will most likely put the property up for sale. No plans for its use have been made.