John Hernandez, the county engineer, told the San Patricio County Commissioners Court that construction of the county Justice Center is about 27% complete and that upcoming mechanical, electrical and plumbing work will control the project schedule.

Hernandez said this month’s payout on the project was approximately $3.2 million and that work completed to date includes second-floor concrete on metal deck, third-floor steel and wire mesh installation, and delivery of metal stud framing and an emergency electrical generator. “The electrical emergency generator has been delivered and is stored at the contractor’s yard,” Hernandez said.

The update was presented as part of the court’s regular project reports. Hernandez said inspections by BRW’s structural subconsultant Gessner Engineering produced “very few comments,” and that field-welded shear studs in the second-floor area have passed manual inspection testing. He also reported concrete strength tests exceeding plan expectations: “The concrete strength cost for about what cost 4,000 PSI at 28 days. But right now, we’re getting 5,000 PSI at 7 days.”

Hernandez told the court that the contractor, Fulton, has been performing quality-control and quality-assurance work satisfactorily. He emphasized that the next 45 to 60 days will be driven by mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) work beginning on the first floor and moving upward. “That’s going to drive the completion of the job for this time,” he said.

When asked about overall schedule status, Hernandez said the project remains on track for spring 2026: “We’re still scheduled here for spring of 2026. So all the items on your critical path are still on schedule.” He cautioned that schedule performance could fluctuate later in the year because of weather.

Court members asked clarifying questions but took no action on the update. Hernandez left a packet of photos and a project chart with the court.

The court did not change any contract terms during the update. The county engineer identified the MEP sequence as the current critical path; no decisions or votes on contract amendments were taken at the meeting.