Commissioners accept substantial-completion certification for new Hidalgo County Courthouse phase

The Hidalgo County Commissioners Court approved the certificate of substantial completion and amendment No. 1 for the new Hidalgo County Courthouse project and authorized the county executive officer to sign related documents.

County executive and project staff described the vote as a step that allows the county to begin transitioning services from the old courthouse to the new building while outstanding exterior and roof items remain under warranty and punch-list work continues. “This will complete the phase by way of what’s deemed as substantial completion of the facility so that we can begin the process of the integration of all our services from the old courthouse to the new courthouse,” county staff told the court.

Judge Cortez and other commissioners asked whether the county would forfeit warranty rights by accepting substantial completion; county staff and the project team said they had made conditions clear and expected warranties and remaining repairs to be resolved. Project stakeholders emphasized that substantial completion does not waive the county’s rights to require repairs and complete outstanding work.

The court approved the certificate and amendment by motion and voice vote and directed relevant staff to continue working with the architect and contractor on punch-list and warranty matters before and during the move-in process.

What the court did: The court accepted HDR Architecture’s submission of the certificate of substantial completion and amendment No. 1 for the courthouse project, authorized county executive officer Valdez Guerra to sign necessary documentation and confirmed the county’s position on outstanding warranty and exterior issues.

Context: County officials said exterior corrections, roofing and other punch-list items remain to be resolved, but the project architect recommended substantial completion to permit the phased integration of county operations into the new facility.