Construction on the Linda McNatt Animal Care and Adoption Center renovations will start this summer following Denton City Council’s approval of a $17.5 million construction contract at a May 19 regular meeting.
The overview
Council approved the contract with Fort Worth-based contractor Steele and Freeman. The bond package approved by voters in 2023 will provide $15 million for the project, and the general fund, through certificates of obligation, will cover the remaining $2.5 million cost, Interim City Manager Cassey Ogden said.
The renovations will:
- Add roughly 10,000 square feet to the shelter
- Create spaces to separate healthy and sick animals
- Add office space for staff
- Increase the size of the kennels
- Update exercise yards
- Add visitation rooms for animals and visitors
- Add more parking spaces
Some background
The $17.5 million contract is about $4 million more than the city’s original $13.8 million cost estimate proposed in the 2023 bond.
Capital Projects Director Seth Garcia said the original cost estimate was based on fluctuating prices and incomplete design plans, and staff has since identified additional work for the renovations.
“When we got in there, we were dealing with a lot of market fluctuation with prices, and we found a lot of scope that needed to be changed,” Garcia said.
Staff proposed increasing the project’s budget at a December 2024 council meeting.
Looking ahead
Nikki Sassenus, Denton’s animal services director, said construction on the project will likely start in June. Council documents state the project is scheduled to complete in November 2027.
