The replica ship La Niña is in the news again, this time as one of several historic ruins the city of Corpus Christi and Nueces County have recently offered to investors and developers as possible renovation projects. Deadline to submit a Request for Interest to the city is 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28.
La Niña is one of three ships designed and built to replicate the ships used by Christopher Columbus in 1492 to sail the ocean blue searching for a passageway to the Far East. The gift came from Spain as part of a celebration marking 500 years since Columbus’s first landing in what Spain thought of as a new world.
Since that time, two of the ships rotted and were dismantled for parts to help preserve La Niña. Hurricane Harvey almost sunk the remaining ship, which currently sits at the Corpus Christi Marina.
The Columbus Sailing Association, a nonprofit formed to manage and maintain the ship, finally decided to give up its fundraising efforts and return responsibility for the vessel to the city. The city owned all three ships and remains the owner of La Niña.
The city issued its Request for Interest for the rights of ownership for La Niña. A similar request was issued for the long-abandoned John W. Cunningham Water Plant earlier this year. Nueces County commissioners also want to find a developer for the Old Nueces Courthouse, a quest that has led to great joys and disappointments in the last year. An agreement to turn the building into a hotel recently fell through when the company did not pay more than $1 million in back taxes quickly enough.
The RFI for La Niña asks that any interested parties submit a Letter of Interest for acquisition and preservation of the ship. Though not a Request for Proposal, the RFI invites those interested to participate in future calls for proposals or direct negotiations.
To help spur the imaginations of future developers, the city included a virtual tour of the ship on its website.
Property tours are offered by appointment only by calling (361) 826-3980.