At the meeting, council members voted for Mayor William Thiele to sign an agreement with LJA Engineering, paying the firm $378,100 for professional design services of Phase 4 improvements to the downtown area. Officials intend for the downtown Katy plaza to become a staple in the community, they said. The source of funding is the city's general reserve fund.
A breakdown of the scope of services, which include several elements like a plaza master plan and visioning, schematic design and structural engineering was provided in a proposal prepared by Charles Patout, LJA Engineering manager of landscape architecture services, and Vice President Chris LeBlanc.
In the three years since its initial groundbreaking, progress was halted by construction costs, Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposal also included a breakdown of the Phase 4 improvements, which were outlined as follows:
- a water tower/portable stage area and electrical control room;
- Katy corner/sculpture area;
- civic center pavilion and promenade;
- Harvest Plaza, fountain area and seat wall;
- site civil infrastructure modifications; and
- electrical improvements and modifications.
LeBlanc, who presented the site map to council, highlighted shade structures that would allow for all-weather coverage. LJA Engineering estimates that construction costs for the Phase 4 improvements total to approximately $2.7 million.
