- Nueces County Commissioner Brent Chesney held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction for the Bob Hall Pier rebuild project on Mon. Oct 7.
- Bob Hall Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Hanna in 2020 and the rebuilding process has been underway for years.
- The rebuild project has a $28.5 million budget and it is expected to be complete in 2026.
- Neighbors across the Coastal Bend say this has been a long time coming, but they are excited for the new pier and restaurant.
Nueces County Commissioner for Precinct 4, Brent Chesney, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Padre Island on Mon, Oct. 7 to mark the beginning of construction for the $28.5 million Bob Hall Pier rebuild project. Bob Hall Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Hanna in 2020 and many people across the Coastal Bend have been eagerly awaiting the rebuild.
“We have worked so hard on this. It was difficult. But you know what, we never gave up. And there’s no “I” in this, this was a “we," Commissioner Chesney said in his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony.
In August, Commissioner Chesney, announced the Notice to Proceed has been issued on Bob Hall Pier. The contractor on the project, Callan Marine, has just under 460 days since the Notice to Proceed was issued to complete the $28.5 million rebuild project. Neighbors across the island and the Coastal Bend say they're excited for their beloved pier to be back on the island.
“I am just so excited. That’s why we had to be out here this morning," Ted Mandel, a Padre Island resident said. "One of the things I love to do is come out and take sunrise pictures. And there was a spot on the old pier where they had a dolphin cutout in one of the posts. I used to frame the sunrise through the dolphin, and it was just spectacular. And I’m looking forward to the day that I can do that again. ”
That day will come around sometime in 2026 when construction on the rebuild is complete.
“It is beyond unbelievable. It’s been a journey, it’s been a tough journey. But you know what, we never gave up, and we are going to build this pier," Commissioner Chesney said.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Commissioner Chesney addressed some of the obstacles the project faced along the way.
"You don't build an over twenty million dollar pier in fifteen minutes," Chesney said. "We didn't have any money, folks. FEMA left us out in the cold. They said you've gotta go do it yourself. We don't care. You gotta go figure it out. And if you think a county the size of us has twenty-eight point five million dollars lying around to rebuild a pier, again, you do not know county government."
People who grew up using Bob Hall Pier for fun, are excited to see the journey finally come full circle.
“This is a place that a lot of us locals have pretty much grown up around. I mean, when I was 4 years old and on, we used to come out here and fish until all hours of the night," Dr. Lonnie Schwirtlich, a Padre Island resident said.
Commissioner Chesney said the pier and beachfront restaurant are on budget and on track to be complete sometime in 2026.
“We’re going to build this pier. We ARE going to build this pier," Chesney said.
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