Cole Park Pier Community Celebration Scheduled for Friday, December 17

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – Preparations are underway for the reopening of Cole Park Pier and Plaza community celebration. Join Mayor Paulette M. Guajardo, City Council, and City Manager Peter Zanoni as they host a ribbon cutting and lighting of the pier on Friday, December 17, 2021, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at Cole Park, 2600 Ocean Drive. The festivities will include live music from Cruise Control, hot cocoa, cookies, a kid’s play area, fishing, giveaways, and more.

The first Cole Park Pier was built in the 1930s and was destroyed by the 1945 Texas Hurricane. The second pier was constructed in 1971 and was closed in April 2018 due to structural deficiencies caused by Hurricane Harvey. A year later, in April 2019, the walkway panels connecting the pier to the shore collapsed into the bay. City staff began working with Jacobs Engineering in December 2019 to design a pier and plaza that residents and visitors to Corpus Christi could use.

“The rededication of our beloved Cole Park Pier will be one of the most exciting days in the history of Corpus Christi,” Mayor Paulette M. Guajardo said.  “As your Mayor, I invite all of our residents to join me in this once in a lifetime event, the Cole Park Pier Community Celebration. We will celebrate the perseverance and resiliency of our great city in rebuilding a brand new and greatly improved Cole Park Pier and unveil our new plaza. Our community celebration is a momentous occasion and in keeping with our City Council’s commitment to our residents, it’s a new day Corpus Christi.”

Water bottles, backpacks, and a commemorative postcard will be given out to the first 300 people in attendance during the community celebration. Texas Parks & Wildlife will be on hand with their mobile interactive education trailer where kids can learn the ends and outs of pier fishing. The event is free to the public, and visitors are encouraged to bring their fishing gear to try their luck at catching a fish off the new pier.  

Transportation to the event will be provided by the Regional Transportation Authority’s (RTA) Park & Ride team and available at 3:30 p.m. at Water’s Edge Park, 602 S. Shoreline Boulevard, with passenger pick up on Kinney Street. The drop-off will be on Del Mar Boulevard directly across from Cole Park. The Corpus Christi Police Department will have officers on hand throughout the event. The RTA’s Park and Ride will close at 7:30 p.m.

COVID-19 safety protocols are encouraged and recommended during the event.

To view full event information visit www.cctexas.com/coleparkpier.

For more information, media representatives can contact Sr. Public Information Officer Melanie Lowry at 361-826-3837 or by email at melaniel@cctexas.com.