An artist’s rendering shows what the new Harbor Master’s Office is expected to look like when it is built at Dennis Dreyer Municipal Harbor in Port Aransas. The structure will be built on the northeast side of the Fred Rhodes Memorial Pavilion. This view shows the entrance to the Harbor Master’s Office. The pavilion is on the other side of the building. Plans are to give a major facelift to the pavilion when the Harbor Master’s Office is built. Courtesy, Gignac Architects
Newly unveiled renderings of plans for a new Port Aransas Harbor Master’s Office and next-door pavilion recently got strong nods of approval from city council members.
“I think everybody liked them,” said Mayor Pro Tem Joan Holt. “They thought it was just really attractive, and it’s going to be useful for lots of things.”
Said Councilman Tim Parke, “In my opinion, it’s gorgeous.”
The work will be done partly with a $5 million grant that the city won from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The money is going not only toward building a new Harbor Master’s Office at Dennis Dreyer Municipal Harbor but also for other purposes including construction of new parking areas and sidewalks at Roberts Point Park.
In addition, the City of Port Aransas has devoted about $350,000 in hotel-occupancy tax revenue to a makeover of Fred Rhodes Memorial Pavilion.
The Corpus Christi firm of Gignac Architects is designing the new Harbor Master’s Office and the pavilion facelift.
An illustration provided by Gignac Architects shows where a new Port Aransas Harbor Master’s Office building has been planned at Dennis Dreyer Municipal Harbor. The old office building will be demolished, and new parking spaces will be created where the structure once stood (in the area where the illustration says ‘new parking for 45’). Courtesy, Gignac Architects
The old Harbor Master’s office building, a one-story cinderblock building that stands about 50 feet southwest of the pavilion, will be demolished, helping create a few dozen more parking spaces than currently exist in that area. The building was constructed about 30 years ago.
The new building will be built in an undeveloped area on the northeast side of the pavilion. The structure has been designed to be two stories high and 4,081 or 4,730 square feet in size, according to Carolyn James, a Gignac architect who is the project designer.
City officials haven’t made a final decision yet on whether to pursue the design with the larger square footage. Either way, the new structure will be larger than the old building, James said. Information on the old building’s exact square footage wasn’t available by deadline for this issue of the South Jetty.
According to the Gignac firm, features to be included in the new Harbor Master’s Office building will include:
The Port Aransas Harbor Master’s Office, foreground, and the Fred Rhodes Memorial Pavilion are pictured at Dennis Dreyer Municipal Harbor on Wednesday, Nov. 24. The City of Port Aransas is planning to demolish the Harbor Master’s Office building and build a new one. The pavilion is to get a makeover. Staff photo by Dan Parker
• Administrative space with large windows providing a panoramic view of the harbor;
• Showers and a laundry for boaters;
• A lounge area;
• A kitchen and pantry;
• Stairs and an elevator;
• Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act;
• LEED certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system that provides third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built for energy savings, water efficiency, carbon dioxide emissions reduction and more, according to the website of the U.S. Green Building Council.
• An upstairs multi-purpose room that could be rented for public or private functions, with seating for 42 or 60 people, depending on which design is used;
• Windows that are nearly floor-to-ceiling in the multi-purpose room, with a patio outside;
An artist’s rendering shows what the Fred Rhodes Memorial Pavilion and surrounding grounds are expected to look like after renovation. A new harbor master’s office building will be built behind the pavilion. Part of the building is visible at the far right-hand side of the illustration. A full view of the building is on Page 1A. Courtesy, Gignac Architects
“We’ve tried really hard to come up with a scheme that is reflective of Port Aransas and the kind of architecture that people associate with Port Aransas and are comfortable with … kind of a laid-back type of environment,” said James, a longtime Port Aransas resident herself. “I think it will be something that both the people of Port Aransas and tourists will really respond to.”
The old pavilion has “bone issues,” said Gignac Principal Raymond Gignac, “but they are very solvable.”
James said that, in addition to structural work, upgrades at the pavilion are to include:
• Cosmetic work including pendant lighting, a more “decorative” ceiling and stucco work that will match the new Harbor Master’s Office;
• A new covered barbecue area;
• New signs;
• A “palm tree promenade” on the grounds, with the palms planted in large, oval planters that will double and places where people can sit;
A dog park will be established next to a bulkhead.
“A lot of people in boats bring their pets with them,” James said.
Grounds work will include decorative paving, with efforts to create a greater distinction between pedestrian and vehicle areas.
Vehicular access will remain on the marina side of the pavilion.
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