City Council adopted a resolution detailing more specific costs for infrastructure upgrades in the area and set a public hearing for November to discuss the money needed for the proposed projects.
What you need to know
The resolution included what is called a preliminary service and assessment plan, according to city documents. This lays out an estimated cost for improvements set to be carried out by the city within the project’s boundaries.
The project’s boundaries, which city officials referred to as the public improvement district, or PID, is where the bulk of the funds are going to be spent, according to city documents.
City Manager Morad Kabiri said the resolution was needed to help keep the city center development on schedule.
The cost
Improvements associated with the project are broken up into two categories, which are initial public improvements and additional public improvements.
Initial public improvements call for a total of $33.8 million, documents show. Improvements include:
- Roadways
- Earthwork, paving and grading
- Clearing, grubbing and demolition
- Detention work
Additional improvements, totaling $28.9 million, include:
- Roadways
- Earthwork, paving and grading
- Water and wastewater
- Drainage
- Landscaping, parks and amenities
- A fire station
There will also be an additional $15 million issued for costs associated with the PID itself, according to city documents.
All costs and plans are preliminary, Kabiri said.
How we got here
The Friendswood City Center is a key development for Friendswood that will bring a mixture of retail, restaurants and businesses to town. The development broke ground in April but had a long history of discussions and approvals prior to then.
Those approvals include a tax increment reinvestment zone, or TIRZ, at the project’s location to help fund part of the development, as well as a development agreement that in part states the city would be responsible for paying for infrastructure costs, Community Impact previously reported.
Kabiri also hit on the long history of trying to develop the site, which has been challenging due to a lack of infrastructure in the area. Other challenges, such as competing with nearby Baybrook Mall, have deterred developers as well, he said.
“This is a project unlike any other in Friendswood’s history,” Kabiri said at the Oct. 7 meeting. “And it’s something we’ve been striving for for the better part of 20-30 years. And we’re excited to finally see it get some momentum behind it.”
Stay tuned
City Council will hold a public hearing on the proposed cost of the projects at its Nov. 4 meeting, officials said.
Following that, officials will look to approve the sale of bonds to pay for the projects, as well as pass a final version of the service and assessment plan, according to city documents. That final plan will, among other things, set a levy amount property owners within the district will be required to pay into the upcoming projects.
