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Township details $3.5 million plan to repair Waterway Square fountain
Summary
Township staff said a $3.5 million budgeted repair program for the Waterway Square fountain will move from schematic designs to construction documents before public bidding; board accepted the update and will see subsequent approvals at key steps.
The Woodlands Township on March 26 said it will move forward with schematic design work for a planned $3,500,000 repair of the Waterway Square fountain, a project funded from the township's hotel occupancy tax reserve.
The update matters because the Waterway fountain is a major amenity and tourist draw in Town Center, and the board emphasized that future design and construction steps will return to the board for review and approval.
John McGowan, director of parks and recreation, told the board the budget initiative approved earlier this year set aside $3,500,000 for repairs and that Half Associates has been engaged for engineering services. "The approach with this is they'll do the schematic design where they'll come out, actually do a deep dive into it ... and what we want it to do most importantly. And basically, from those schematic designs, then, once that is approved, you know, then we'll move to construction documents," McGowan said. He described vendor outreach and a narrowing to a single subconsultant for schematic design work.
McGowan said the funding source is the hotel occupancy tax reserve and explained the choice: "By using hotel tax, it is a economic we consider that an economic driver, for the waterway ... So that is not using the residents property tax or even sales tax to fund that. It is using a source of revenue that's funded mostly by visitors and specifically those that stay in our hotels." Board members also were told the schematic-design phase will be followed by structural, MEP and civil work included in construction documents, and then the township will solicit bids and move to construction.
Board members asked about whether the budgeted amount will be sufficient; McGowan said preliminary discussions indicate the project is within the approved amount but that later design steps will bring clearer cost estimates.
The board voted to accept McGowan's report. The motion to receive and file the Waterway fountain update was moved and seconded on a voice vote and the chair announced the motion carries. The board was told additional board review and approvals will be requested after the schematic design and before construction contracting.
Less-critical details: staff said the fountain is currently operational with intermittent issues (loss of music and leaks that require ongoing "babying"), and the parks and aquatic staff continue routine maintenance while the capital project proceeds. The board also received a brief operational update on nearby Waterway Avenue work and event lighting supply constraints related to lead times and supply-chain delays.
What's next: schematic designs and associated cost estimates will be returned to the board for further direction before construction documents are issued and public bidding begins.
