The proposed streets and sidewalk renovation project in downtown Katy is on hold until January 2017, after the Katy City Council rejected a proposed bid for the project in May.

The project is intended to renovate Second and Third streets between Avenue D and East Avenue, changing both streets to one-way thoroughfares, and also improve sidewalks. Construction on Phase 1 of the project was scheduled to begin June 13, however, the bid came in too high for city officials. It was rejected in a unanimous vote by the council May 23.

Katy City Administrator Byron Hebert said delaying the project will allow it to be completed in one time period and also will save the city money. The project is expected to cost $3 million and will be funded with money from a bond approved by voters in 2000.

“Instead of piece-mealing it together, we can do it all at once,” Hebert said.

Kayce Reina, Katy’s director of tourism and marketing, said the project will follow the same timeline previously decided on by city officials but will be delayed in order to allow the construction company to complete the project without being rushed.

“We’ll have 10 full months to do it,” Reina said. “We’ll do it all at one time, but it will still be phased. One contractor will do all the work.”

Also at the May 23 meeting, the council approved the release of $8.8 million in bonds to pay for several projects.

In addition to the $3 million to be used for the streets project, an additional $3 million will be used to improve and expand the soon-to-be former city council chambers, which will become a civic center in the new downtown plaza.

Officials will also use $1 million for water and sewer projects—extending both utility services farther west along Hwy. 90 to serve several commercial development, Hebert said.

“We annexed a lot of property west of Katy,” he said. “We want to extend the water and sewer line for those businesses.”

Another $1.8 million will be used for improvements to the city’s drainage system.

Hebert said a hydroengineering study will be funded with a portion of the money. The study will help determine how the city can better handle future rain events and flooding similar to April 17-18.

The city also has plans to use a portion of the $1.8 million to construct a 22-acre detention pond at Town Park.

“We want to do the hydrostudy [to] determine what is the next step we need to take to prevent another [flooding] situation,” Hebert said.