Wilson Plaza building, home to Corpus Christi Detention Center, to close this Friday

The Wilson Plaza building, which provides rental space for businesses and government agencies such as the Corpus Christi Magistration and Detention Center, announced last week that it would be closing this Friday.

The eviction notice impacts all tenants who were housed in the building, which is located at 606 N. Carancahua St. near the corner of Upper Broadway and Leopard streets in Uptown Corpus Christi.

Gilbert Hernandez, director of Municipal Court Services for the city of Corpus Christi, said the department was notified through an eviction letter that was mailed to the Detention Center manager on Thursday.

He said that it was a surprise for the department, which has been housed at Wilson Plaza since 2004, providing processing and magistration to adults who are arrested by the Corpus Christi Police Department and transported to the Nueces County Jail for Class A or B misdemeanors and felony charges.

“Our organization’s lease extended through December of 2025, so we were surprised to receive this notice not only to vacate, but to do so within seven days — this Friday,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez noted that while he wasn’t certain of the extent of problems in the building that led to the notice being sent, Detention Center staff began having problems when the air conditioning stopped working in March, relying on portable units to cool their rooms and offices.

The Corpus Christi Fire Department could not be reached for comment regarding active investigations associated with the building regarding code enforcement or compliance with fire regulations or other safety standards.

He said that the Detention Center is seeking other locations to house their services and is currently negotiating a long-term lease at another downtown building.

Center staff have been holding daily meetings this week with the police and fire departments, the city manager’s office and the information technology department to look at some city-owned facilities, including fire stations, to secure an immediate and temporary location before pursuing a long-term lease option, Hernandez said.

The group met Tuesday afternoon to discuss some of those short-term locations.

“We’re used to working I this type of condition — in an emergency situation,” he said. “We’re going to get results by Friday.”

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Wilson Plaza building, home to Corpus Christi Detention Center, to close this Friday