Willacy County tent-city prison closure to prove costly

RAYMONDVILLE — The tent-city prison’s closure will lead to revenue losses that will make it tougher to restore the Willacy County Courthouse, County Judge Aurelio Guerra said Wednesday.

The restoration project’s delay could speed the 93-year-old courthouse’s decay, Guerra said.

Widespread mold forced officials to close the landmark building Feb. 9 after they moved departments into the new 9,000-square-foot Administration Building that cost about $1.2 million to renovate.

Guerra said the Willacy County Correctional Center, which has paid the county for every inmate it holds, generated $2.78 million last year. He said local officials project the prison will remain closed for at least six months, during which the county would lose about $1 million in revenue.

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