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County greenlights Restore Act procurement; $7.5 million grant to expand coastal park facilities and RV capacity
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Summary
Nueces County approved procurement steps for a $7.5 million RESTORE Act award to expand coastal park facilities including RV sites and amenities; county staff said the work must be completed by February 2027 and will be bid under public procurement rules.
Nueces County officials told the commissioners court they are ready to move forward with procurement to implement a $7.5 million RESTORE Act grant for coastal parks improvements, including enlargement of RV pads and new amenities at IB McGee and Padre Island facilities.
Scott (coastal parks director) told the court he wrote the original funding application in 2016 and the county received the award in 2018. "It took me this is no exaggeration. It took me 3 weeks, 7 days a week to write this thing. And out of all the applications that received in bucket 1, which is what this is of the Restore Act, there were over 3,000,000,000 applicants and applicants that were received and only 114,000,000 that was awarded," Scott said.
He said the grant will be used to expand RV capacity, add restrooms and shower facilities, build an open-air pavilion and complete other site improvements. He said permitting and environmental reviews are largely complete and that the grant requires project completion by February 2027.
Why it matters: Coastal parks generate significant visitor revenue for the county. Commissioners emphasized the importance of detailed financial projections'how much the expanded facilities will produce in net revenue and how operating costs will be handled'and asked staff to return with granular profit-and-loss figures for the piers and RV facilities.
Key procurement and program details
- Grant size and timing: Scott said the RESTORE Act grant award is $7.5 million and that construction and obligations must be completed by Feb. 2027.
- Project elements: Scott said planned work includes doubling or tripling RV capacity at locations including Padre Island and IB McGee, adding restrooms/shower facilities, an outdoor pavilion funded by an additional small TCEQ amendment ($315,000), and other visitor amenities.
- Procurement: Commissioners approved the procurement method and directed staff to proceed with bidding and contract awards under county procurement rules. The court also approved an ARPA-funded equipment purchase (a trailer) for park operations.
Commissioners asked for more financial detail and timeline
Commissioners asked staff to return with detailed revenue and expense projections for the expanded RV parks and the piers so the court can evaluate long-term operating impacts and subsidy needs. Scott said RV occupancy runs near 92% year-round and described the projects as revenue-generating investments that will reduce net subsidy over time.
Ending
The court authorized staff to proceed with procurement steps for the RESTORE Act-funded coastal parks improvements and approved an ARPA purchase to support operations; staff will return with the bid results and detailed financial projections.
