ROCKPORT — For years, Aransas County officials wanted to knock down and rebuild their courthouse. Then Hurricane Harvey hit.
The storm made landfall here on Aug. 25, 2017, and devastated southeastern Texas. The destruction stretched from this coastal beach town of 11,000 people to Houston and beyond, making it the state’s most expensive natural disaster at the time.
The storm damaged the roof of the courthouse that served as the county’s headquarters since 1956. Other problems, including an extensive amount of asbestos, made the building unsalvageable…