Part of its commitment to expand parks and green spaces in Precinct 3, the county will provide the $1.5 million required for groundwork—including concrete, irrigation, soil preparation, site utilities and earthwork—to make the cemetery safely accessible to the community, FBISD Chief Communications Officer Chassidy Olainu-Alade said.
“It provides green space, not only to the campus but to the surrounding community,” she said. “Right now our top priority is to make the facility accessible ... to the community as any other historic cemetery in the county would be."
The bigger picture
In 2022, Boston-based nonprofit MASS Design Group presented plans for the expanded memorial at a price tag of up to $4.5 million, including:
- A space for visitors to be with ancestors
- A pathway to lead visitors through the site with benches
- Signs throughout conveying information about those interned in the cemetery based on bioforensic data, genealogical studies and archival research
- Community experiences and cultural celebrations
- Commemorative rituals and memorializations
Olainu-Alade said the $1.5 million serves as a “catalyst investment” toward the project’s total cost, which she said could increase due to inflation. She said the district and its partners plan to raise more money from donors, foundations and ongoing local fundraising efforts led by community groups while revisiting the design specifications to ensure the funds “stretch.”
“Right now, we're really set on meeting the community's expectations for those core values,” she said.
The moving parts
Under the agreement, the district will maintain the Sugar Land 95 Historic Cemetery and surrounding grounds for educational purposes, while keeping them open to the public as a park during designated park hours outside of the school day.
The district is solely responsible for all site operations and maintenance—including mowing, edging, trimming and litter removal—to the same standards as other FBISD school grounds.
While the district is leading the efforts on fundraising for construction of the memorial, separate efforts are led by nonprofit organizations to commemorate the burial site, including:
- The Principal Research Group, which is fundraising $50,000 for DNA research to identify individuals and connect them to living descendants
- The Friends of Sugar Land 95, which contributes $10,000 annually for programming to support ongoing community education and site beautification
Several officials, including Friends of the Sugar Land 95 President Marilyn Moore, gave thanks to Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers for bringing to fruition the mission laid out by her late husband, Reginald Moore, who grew awareness of the Sugar Land 95 prior to FBISD’s discovery.
“It has been a long time coming, but time and circumstances bring about needed change,” she told Community Impact. “We are grateful to all who made this happen.”
The groundwork is expected to be completed within 18 months from the time the district partners with a contractor, per district documents.
