New updates in Hidalgo County Courthouse construction

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A meeting between Hidalgo County officials and the contractors of the new Hidalgo County Courthouse took place on Monday to discuss fixing several issues and potentially opening the courthouse soon.

The courthouse has been under construction for years and has constantly run into issues and delays.

More recently, the Hidalgo County courthouse in Edinburg experienced issues with the stucco on the walls. Stucco is a cement-based construction material used to coat walls and ceilings. Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez said the stucco is an issue that they plan to fix after the building has opened.

“We’re concerned about removing the stucco and doing things with it when we’re in hurricane season, but I’m going to leave that to the experts and the contractors and the engineers on whether they want to continue with that or not," Cortez said.

Before securing a certificate of occupancy from the city of Edinburg, the courthouse has several internal issues that need to be addressed.

Cortez said the contractors need to fix ventilation issues in the stairwells, the building's automation system and moisture issues on the roof.

“We had a very detailed discussion on the issues that were still remaining. They were not conforming issues on construction. We discussed all the lows and we demanded that they complete them," he said.

When asked what the timeline of opening the courthouse might be, Judge Cortez said he couldn't say for sure but he is hoping it is weeks instead of months.

Cortez said Monday's meeting left them feeling optimistic about completing the projects, with both parties acting in good faith.

“I think we’re all optimistic. I think everybody left that meeting optimistic that we’re getting close now to finally moving in.”