FUTURE PLANS — New facilities will be constructed for Kleberg County Human Services. Pictured, from left, are Aaron Garcia of CAS Company in Harlingen, Margie Del Bosque, Executive Director of Human Services; and Pct. 4 County Commissioner Romeo Loma. (Photo by Erika Hernandez). Three major construction projects for Kleberg County will begin soon and they are anticipated to be completed by the end of this year.

Renovations on the Exxon Building are projected to begin within the next two months along with the construction of a new building for the Kleberg County Human Services Department.

The jail expansion will begin immediately, according to Kleberg County Judge Pete De La Garza.

The Kleberg County Commissioners Court authorized De La Garza to sign the contract for the Exxon renovation project and Human Services Building at its March 22 meeting.

The contracts, along with the jail expansion contract, are due to be signed this week.

The renovation of the Exxon Building, owned by Kleberg County for more than 20 years, had been planned since last year and also the jail expansion. Constructing a new Human Services Center materialized this year because of cost savings on the other construction projects.

Last year the county sold certificates of obligations for $6 million that will provide funds for these major construction projects. The commissioners court voted to allocate $2 million for major renovations of the Exxon Building; $2 million for the jail expansion, $1 million for park improvements and $1 million for unrestricted funds.

The renovation of the Exxon building will be about $1.9 million and the cost of the new Human Services Building will be about $845,000.

It is planned that the Exxon Building will house the Veterans, Indigent Care and Tax offices on a permanent basis on the second floor, according to De La Garza. These offices are not required to be at the courthouse. The first floor will be used for storage purposes and future offices.

“We decided not to make working offices on the first floor because of the parking situation,” De La Garza said. A city ordinance requires one parking place per 200 square feet.

The decision to renovate or demolish the Exxon Building was discussed over several months.

“When I make a decision, not by myself, I go to the public and talk to people who know the business.” De La Garza said.

“It took me eight months and basically was told to do something with it — build or demolish.”

The architect told De La Garza it would be a sin to demolish the Exxon Building because it was structurally sound and most of the public wanted to keep it.

One of the main costs of $150,000 will be for removing the asbestos located mostly in the floors.

The Exxon Building, located on Fifth Street, contains 31,000 square feet and is worth $1.2 to $1.8 million. The square footage could be compared to 1 and 1/2 football fields. The renovation of the building would need mechanical and electrical systems replaced.

The jail expansion will include 38 beds.

The Human Services building will be built in the area of the Precinct 4 offices that are located at 622 N. 14th Street.

Kleberg County owns eight acres in that vicinity.

The building will be constructed of cinder blocks with a tin roof.

The building will house all offices, a kitchen, and other facilities needed for the operations of Human Services.

Precinct 4 County Commissioner Romeo Lomas said he was pleased that all the programs would be housed in one building.

“This is long overdue and will be the best thing that could happen for the taxpayers,” Lomas said.

The Human Services programs are housed in the old Austin Elementary School, 720 E. Lee, that was built in 1916 and redone in 1945, according to Lomas.

Lomas was instrumental in creating the department on April 1, 1981.

The programs catered to senior citizens and provided meals, including the meals on wheels program, medical transportation and later public transportation.

The services were later expanded for people of all ages.

Currently, Human Services provide transportation, nutrition, meals on wheels program and also utility assistance programs.

Each day about 400 meals are prepared. It also operates three congregate centers located locally, and at Ricardo and Riviera.

Human Services has 30 employees.

Margie Del Bosque applied for a grant with the Texas Department of Transportation through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Kleberg County qualified for a $275,000 grant.

The money will be used to build a covered car port where the 13 Human Services vans can park; build a dispatcher office and repair the maintenance building.

These projects should be completed by early summer according to Del Bosque.

“We are blessed we received this funding,” said Del Bosque, who serves as the executive director of the Human Services.

The CAS Company will provide the design and engineering services for the Exxon Building renovations, the new Human Services Building, and the new carport facilities, dispatcher office.

CAS, with nine companies, offers mechanical, environmental and construction services.

Aaron Garcia and Raymond Moses, with the CAS office based in Harlingen, have made presentations of their services to the Kleberg County Commissioners Court.