Downtown Friendswood to receive new lighting fixtures as part of larger improvement project

Downtown Friendswood will receive multiple new lighting fixtures as part of an ongoing project to rejuvenate the area.

Assistant City Manager Steven Rhea presented details of the project at the Friendswood City Council meeting Oct. 4. Once constructed, the new project will create uniform lighting for the street and pedestrians, according to city documents.

The plan is being funded by the Friendswood Downtown Economic Development Corp. with input on the design from consultant Gandy2 Lighting Design. HDR Engineering is on board to complete the surveying and engineering of the project, which is set to start in mid-2022. City documents show the engineering and lighting plans cost the FDEDC $30,004.

Gandy2 Lighting Design also provided feedback on ideal positioning and spacing for the new light fixtures that will work best for the coverage area, per city documents. Once surveying is complete, city officials hope to hear what the expected project costs will be.

“We’re looking forward to the upcoming lighting plan that is going to be installed downtown," Rhea said. "What this plan will do is provide illumination uniformly throughout downtown from FM 2351 all the way to Whispering Pines on both sides of FM 518."

An estimated 183 total fixtures are set to be installed. The new lighting will have a metal pole base that has a more wooden finish along with black powder coated hoods and hardware, according to Rhea.

This project is also running in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation’s $2.79 million sidewalk, curb ramps and mast arms project, as previously reported by Community Impact Newspaper.

Running the projects simultaneously will benefit the lighting project in the long run because TxDOT is lending the FDEDC the same contractor it is using to install the required electrical conduit needed for TxDOT’s project, according to agenda documents. The TxDOT project is scheduled to be completed in December.