The big picture
The West University Place City Council approved a Facilities Master Plan in 2022. The plan includes four phases, the details of which are subject to change as design and public engagement processes move forward:
- Building a new public works facility
- Building a new community center/senior center/library
- Building a new fire station
- Making renovations to City Hall and expanding the police department
The latest
At a Feb. 26 meeting, council members approved a $983,000 professional services agreement for design work related to the new senior center, community center and library, which will be located within the city's Civic Center area, bounded by Rice Boulevard on the north, University Boulevard on the south, College Street on the west and Auden Street on the east. The contract—with the architecture firm Pierce Godwin Alexander & Linville—also includes:
- Urban design for possible improvements to the Civic Center area
- Design for repurposing the space occupied by the city's Parks Maintenance department, which is currently located within the West U Recreation Center and slated to relocate to the new Public Works facility once it's finished
At the Feb. 26 meeting, Beach said the design work on the new senior center, community center and library will seek to determine whether each facility will have its own building or be combined into one or two buildings. It will also look into building size and number of stories.
The urban planning part of the work will include looking at space outside of the physical footprint of the buildings, Beach said, including how it could be reused, street layout, pedestrian enhancements and parking. It will also look into how buildings should be oriented and where public spaces can be placed, said PGAL CEO Jeff Gerber, who also spoke at the Feb. 26 meeting.
What they're saying
"This is the kind fo building where public input is really important," Gerber said. "This building will be successful if we get maximum public input into what size it is, what it looks like, what the spaces [are], how are they are going to be used."
What's next
A public engagement process is expected to being in March and run through November, including a community survey. Construction could start as early as August 2025, and the new building or buildings could open at end of 2026.
Construction specifically related to the recreation center could start in late 2025 and run through early 2026.
One more thing
Work is progressing on the first phase of the Facilities Master Plan related to the new Public Works facility, construction on which is slated to begin this summer, pending permit approval from the city of Houston.
