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Cameron County approves Isla Blanca change orders after engineers flag electrical delays, adds 65 days
Summary
County officials approved two change orders that add about 65 calendar days to the Isla Blanca park contract and about 1.1% to the project budget, and heard that electrical work by third‑party utilities — not contractor cost — is the principal remaining schedule risk.
The Cameron County Commissioners Court on May 10 approved two change orders to the Isla Blanca park improvement contract that add 65 calendar days to the construction timeline and increase the project budget by roughly 1.1 percent.
In a status update, project staff said Morewell LLC holds the $11,600,000 contract and GDG Engineering is the construction manager; Millennium Engineers Group handles materials testing. Engineers said change orders 2 and 3 addressed previously unknown water‑ and sewer‑line conflicts and electrical work delays. “Change order number 2 and number 3 were approved today,” the project manager said, adding the changes represent a modest cost increase but a notable schedule impact.
Why it matters: the court was told the project is roughly a third complete by time, and staff described the electrical scope as the primary uncertain element because a third‑party utility (AEP) is responsible for portions of the work and has quoted completion windows of “between 5 and 9 months” for remaining installations. Staff estimated the change orders add about 65 calendar days and represent about a 1.1% budget increase; they said there is currently no additional contractor cost for the electrical-related change order but that schedule entitlement for days is appropriate when delays are not the contractor’s fault.
County officials asked whether the electrical delay will affect a full reopening of the park or only portions such as RV facilities and concessions. Project staff said mitigation planning is under way and that sections of the park may open earlier, but the utility timeline limits the county’s control. Staff also said unforeseen buried infrastructure — including an asbestos pipe encountered during waterline work — contributed to delays.
Financial and service impacts: staff provided informal projections for lost revenue tied to summer operations and said the parks department had budgeted for revenue loss through the fiscal year. The court was told that partial openings could reduce the financial impact, and staff said they will circulate a more detailed revenue‑impact estimate to commissioners.
What’s next: commissioners asked staff to stay on top of mitigation efforts and to return with updates; the court acknowledged the report and approved the change orders so the contractor can proceed under the revised schedule.
