Willacy County awarded nearly $9 million to restore courthouse
The Willacy County Courthouse is still standing after it was built in 1923, but it is in need of repairs.
The courthouse was in use until 2014 when the county began using the administrative building across from the building.
Now, the paint on the old courthouse is wearing away, and work is needed inside the building.
On Friday, the Texas Historical Commission awarded more than $8.7 million dollars to help restore the Willacy County courthouse.
The historical commission says Willacy County will match a percentage of the money that's awarded. The historical commission will also reimburse the county for the work that's ahead.
“It's going to be total reconstruction, that's basically what it is,” Willacy County Commissioner Eliberto Guerra said. “They're going to go in there and strip it and reconstruct it the way the original plan was."
Commissioner Guerra says the county will now go out for bids for an engineering firm that can draw up redesign plans to restore the building.
Once restored, the courthouse will be functional to be used for county business.
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