In August, Jersey Village purchased a 54,000-square-foot property near the intersection of Jersey Village Drive and Rio Grande Street from Champion Forest Baptist Church for $4.2 million.
Since acquiring the property, city officials have considered transforming the six buildings into modern, efficient, community-focused spaces.
“This project is more than just buildings—it’s about creating a space that strengthens our community, supports city operations and provides a place for residents to connect, learn and play,” Jersey Village officials said in a news post. “By making smart, long-term investments, Jersey Village is ensuring that our city campus will serve the community well into the future.”
The three options presented at the meeting ranged between $19.2 million and $21.8 million, according to city documents. Officials said in a news post the city plans to cover the cost using a combination of property sales, budget allocations and possible grants.
Why now?
Jersey Village inspected the property and found several buildings in need of roof replacements, restroom renovations, heating, ventilation and air conditioning updates, and mold remediation. City officials said they must address these issues to keep the facilities safe and accessible.
The meeting outlined several goals for the proposed city campus, including maintaining community spaces, improving city services and making cost-effective improvements.
All three proposed plans aim to centralize city departments, bringing public works, parks and recreation, and utilities facilities to the same side of Hwy. 290 as other city departments.
According to city documents, this relocation is expected to save these groups about 30 minutes of travel time each day and could save the city over $1,700 per week in staff time and fuel costs.
Every option presented also included recreational and community spaces, such as gyms, meeting rooms, and a covered pavilion with basketball hoops.
The options
City Council weighed three approaches for the proposed city campus:
Option A involves renovating about 41,000 square feet of space and constructing approximately 8,420 square feet of new buildings for an estimated cost of $19.2 million.
- Building A would be converted into municipal offices for administration, court, finance, IT and community development. It would also provide flexible workspaces for staff needing temporary desks.
- Buildings B and C would be demolished and replaced with new buildings and a plaza. The new building would house the council chambers and municipal court. It would also include a lobby with access to administrative offices, conference rooms, an emergency operations center and storage spaces.
- Building D would become a parks and recreation center with a second-floor emergency dispatch. It would include a 5,000-square-foot gym for community events, three rentable meeting rooms, recreational programming spaces, and parks and recreation offices.
- Building G would house public works, parks and recreation, and utilities.
- Building I would be demolished and replaced with a fenced yard for outdoor storage, using fencing to block views.
- Building A would be transformed into a community space featuring a 5,000-square-foot area that can be divided into sections for group use. This option would retain the existing classrooms while adding five rooms for civic groups and recreational activities.
- Buildings B and C would be demolished and replaced with new buildings and a plaza. The new building would house the council chambers and municipal court. It would also include a lobby with access to administrative offices, conference rooms, an emergency operations center and storage spaces.
- Building D would become the main city hall. The first floor would house offices for utility payments, building permits, finance, community development, and parks and recreation. The second floor would house offices for the city manager, city secretary, assistant city manager, IT, human resources, emergency dispatch and the emergency operations center.
- Building G would be for public works, parks maintenance and utilities.
Phase 1
- Building A would be converted into municipal offices for administration, court, finance, IT and community development. It would also provide flexible workspaces for staff needing temporary desks.
- Buildings B and C would be demolished and replaced with new buildings and a plaza. The new building would house the council chambers and municipal court. It would also include a lobby with access to administrative offices, conference rooms, an emergency operations center and storage spaces.
- Building G would house public works, parks and recreation, and utilities.
- Building I would be demolished and replaced with a fenced yard for outdoor storage, using fencing to block views.
- Building D would be transformed into a parks and recreation facility with emergency dispatch on the second floor. It would have a 5,000-square-foot gym, three meeting rooms and offices for parks and recreation staff.
City Council could discuss hiring a construction manager at the March 17 meeting. According to city officials, this approach will help minimize costs and reduce conflicts between design and construction, ensuring the project runs smoothly.
Get involved
Jersey Village officials urge residents to stay involved and provide feedback as the project progresses. The city is hosting a comprehensive plan meeting on March 6 to allow residents to share their thoughts on the future of Jersey Village.
