CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Wilson Plaza, located in Uptown Corpus Christi, will shut down Friday, according to an eviction notice delivered to tenants last week.
Very few tenants remain in the building. Some tenants tell KRIS 6 News the building has had no air conditioning since January 2023.
The complex has one working elevator in the East tower. Elevators in the North and West towers do not work.
The Corpus Christi Fire Department and code enforcement have been actively investigating issues associated with this building, according to CCFD Assistant Fire Chief Randy Paige.
Paige said property owners had received citations related to its fire suppression system, broken elevators, and its failure to have the fire system inspected annually.
A citation was issued two weeks ago and when it was re-inspected Thursday, issues had not been resolved, Paige said.
Despite plans to shutter the building, it is still required to comply with fire regulations, he added.
"We're going to continue to take every recourse we have available to us to get them to comply," Paige said.
That building is the current home of the City of Corpus Christi Magistration and Detention Center.
It is unclear if the city will receive any additional time to move these operations.
Any adult arrested by the Corpus Christi Police Department, Corpus Christi City Marshal's Office, and Corpus Christi Airport Public Safety is taken to that center for processing and magistration.
Following magistration individuals arrested for class A or B misdemeanors and felony charges are processed and then transported to the Nueces County Jail.
Municipal Court Director, Gilbert Hernandez said the city was caught by surprise when they received the notice.
He said meetings have begun between several departments to find a temporary solution including the city manager's office, police department, fire department and information technology.
“We’ve been looking at a couple of city owned facilities, a couple of fire stations. We have been working on negotiating a long term lease,” Hernandez said.
He said safety will be on the top of their minds when making accommodations. He added, ideally, whatever they select for the temporary location becomes the permanent location. However, there's a chance they could move those operations again after securing a long-term lease.
“Obviously, for a detention center it’s not as easy to move. It’s not an office where you can just get up and go. It deals with building cells and stuff like that,” Hernandez said.
According to that notice obtained by 6 Investigates, "Due to ongoing conditions, Wilson Plaza will be closing operations as of October 4, 2024. At that time, the building will be locked, and no further access will be permitted... Please consider this letter a formal notice to vacate."
This month, the Corpus Christi Council approved its Capital Budget, which includes long-range plans beginning in Fiscal Year 2027 to construct a new 15,000-square-foot detention center at a cost of nearly $16 million.
A sign on the building indicates the Internal Revenue Service Taxpayer Assistance Center, which was also housed in the Wilson Plaza, has closed and does not yet have a new address.
One tenant, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, said she has been a tenant of Wilson Plaza for 36 years and had planned on moving at the end of October.
The property was sold at auction in November 2019 for just over $10 million after the previous owner defaulted.
"We thought they were going to come in and do the repairs and fix stuff and we were going to be able to stay here, but we've been here 36 years and they haven't come in and done anything," that tenant said.
She said the eviction notice means several items, including scanners, printers, and desks will have to be left behind.
This is a developing story. KRIS 6 News has reached out to the attorneys representing the Wilson Plaza landlord and are awaiting a response.
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