Groundbreaking ceremonies for a new beach observation deck at Horace Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas were held Thursday, Jan. 28 at I.B. Magee Park, Mustang Island. Courtesy photo
Officials broke ground on construction of a new observation deck at Horace Caldwell Pier at I.B. Magee Park in Port Aransas on Thursday, Jan. 28. The project may be the only pier construction in the Coastal Bend not related to hurricane damage. Both Bob Hall and Cole Park piers in Corpus Christi are being demolished and rebuilt after unrepairable damage from two different hurricanes.
The work on Horace Caldwell Pier is part of a deal Nueces County Commissioners made with the federal government to avoid repaying $750,000 for previous work on Bob Hall Pier — work that is now going under the wrecking ball after Hurricane Hanna took its toll in July 2020.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service granted the money to the county for a beach observation deck on the Padre Island Pier. After an inspection in 2017, federal officials notified the county that the money would need to be repaid as it was used to benefit a private business. Mikel May’s Beachside Bar and Grill expanded its restaurant into the new area, which violated government regulations.
“They said, ‘Nueces County, you owe all this and the interest back,’” Nueces County Barbara Canales said in remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony. “I had behind me this team, and I got their permission and blessing to go to D.C. and put forth a solution.”
Working with the education leaders in the community, the parks service, the Port of Corpus Christi and other entities, commissioners put together a plan for an observation deck that will serve as a recreational, educational, and research facility at Horace Caldwell Pier. The pay off was leaving in place the observation deck on Bob Hall Pier, which Canales said brings in revenue and provides a service to the community.
“Mikel May’s means 65 jobs,” Canales said. It also pays taxes and rent to the county. “It’s a place to make certain we have a return on revenue. It’s very rare you can get your cake and eat it, too.”
The new deck will be 50’ x 50’ and connected to the pier by a catwalk. It will be open to the public free of charge and serve as a dedicated space for education on coastal ecology.
Construction begins in February and should be completed by June 30.
