An 83-year-old courthouse is expected to see massive renovations both inside and out beginning next fall.

The massive overhaul to Starr County’s courthouse came as District 28 Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-Laredo) announced that $2,392,763 in federal grant funding will be earmarked to help with the upgrades.

The renovations, which are estimated to cost $10,836,467 in total, are said to be done in two phases.

Phase I, estimated to cost anywhere from $7 to $8 million, focuses on interior upgrades like the replacement of the courthouse’s roof, HVAC upgrades, the disposal of hazardous material within the building and making the facility more ADA-accessible. Cuellar’s earmarked funding is a part of that phase. The remaining $4,443,704 will be covered via a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Phase II instead addresses the preservation of the building inside and out. The measure is being funded with an estimated $4 million from the Texas Historical Foundation.

In a statement, Cuellar said the grant was made possible through the means of the enacted FY2022 Omnibus Appropriations legislation.

“Starr County will greatly benefit from this sizable investment. This appropriations bill addresses the needs of rural America, and I am proud to have voiced — and won — favorable investments for my district," Cuellar said. “As a member of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, I will continue to advocate on behalf of my district to impress that investing in community infrastructure will directly improve the well-being and health of my constituents and their localities. I am excited that the Starr County Courthouse will once again provide an accessible, safe resource to the community.”

Starr County Judge Eloy Vera, who noted constant problems with the facility’s plumbing, air conditioning and leaking roof, said while past attempts to revamp the courthouse have fallen short, he believes these renovations will allow the historical building to function normally for some time.

“I hope this building will be here for the next 100, 200 years,” Vera said. “We need to invest money in it as we go along with it.”

Starr County Industrial Foundation president, Rose Benavides, spoke during the announcement and said that the renovations would allow the courthouse to go on for another 80 years.

“Knowing that we will now be able to not only cherish those memories, but keep that foundation for generations to come is what public government is about,” she said.

Documents from Cuellar’s team state that the renovation will take 16 to 18 months to complete.