West Star Properties was low bidder for the project. The zone also approved an amendment in its finance plan consisting of rearranging projects to free up an additional $442,797 for the project. The additional funding is for a 10 percent contingency and issuance cost on the project, making the total cost about $2.65 million.
The linear park is planned along Pepper Creek between Farm to Market Road 2305 and Texas 36 and is part of the city’s efforts to attract bioscience industries to the area.
Planning committee member John Kiella told the board during its Wednesday meeting that the remaining three elements in the project would likely be funded as money becomes available. Those projects are landscaping ($110,000), irrigation ($140,000) and lighting ($646,000).
Val Roming, superintendent of the Parks and Leisure Services, said the design of the park trail would work well with existing city trails.
“I think it will be a great trail addition. The trail that’s going to go in there will also connect to a sidewalk that will run along that outer loop and come back in and tie into our existing (FM) 2305 hike and bike trail,” he said. “It will make a great loop through there.”
Although the greenbelt will be a city park, the zone will pay for its maintenance, estimated at about $37,500 per year.
Kiella said the zone is using tax dollars that will bring in jobs, which in turn, will increase the zone’s increment and help pay for maintenance.
“Our job is to create the best jobs as we can to bring employees and employers into the community,” he said.
Early plans for the greenbelt called for future phases, which could include elements such as a playscape, athletic courts, restrooms and an amphitheater.
Kiella said with the bidding commencing on the early stages of the bioscience greenbelt, the Southeast Park is the only zone project waiting for bids on recent work being done by the reinvestment zone. Work on that project, which is mainly infrastructure, will hold until prospects for the sites are found.
