Western Specialty Contractors’ San Antonio branch recently completed façade restoration on the landmark Del Mar College (DMC) Memorial Classroom Building in Corpus Christi, TX.
Founded in 1935 as Corpus Christi Junior College, the 18,000 sq ft Memorial Classroom Building was the first permanent building constructed on the Del Mar College campus in 1942. As DMC prepared to celebrate its 90th anniversary in 2025, plans were made to repurpose the historic building to house the college’s Executive Administration, Human Resources and College Relations offices.
The building’s $17.8 million modernization included restoration of its brick and stone exterior, new landscaping and a complete interior demolition and rebuild. Texas-based SpawGlass, the general contractor on the project, hired Western’s façade experts to perform the building’s exterior restoration work.
Western’s scope of work included replacing 700-800 bricks around the three-story facade, primarily for aesthetic purposes, to the already structurally sound building. Crews also removed, repaired, and reinstalled several large stones around the building’s entrance that had shifted and spalled over time due to freeze-thaw cycles and weathering.
“The most significant challenge we encountered was reinstalling the heavy stones on the building, which required careful planning and execution,” said Western Branch Manager Stephen Cordova.
To complete the project, Western pressure-washed the entire building and applied a waterproof sealant to protect the façade from future damage.
Western completed the building’s exterior renovation within budget and in time for its planned grand re-opening, celebrated in conjunction with the college’s 90th anniversary on February 6, 2025. The Texas Historical Commission presented DMC with a permanent marker for the building, recognizing its significance and the college’s role in shaping higher education in the Coastal Bend region.
Have a project you need completed? Contact the San Antonio branch today
About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures, including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com.