Zone board receives project updates, approves park planning contract, sewer work and Santa Fe Community Center roof change order

Temple — The Temple Reinvestment Zone No. 1 board on May 28 received construction updates on several active projects and approved three actions to advance work in parks, sewer and building rehabilitation.

Board members heard progress reports on the Outer Loop North and the downtown City Center projects and then took votes to authorize park master-planning services, a sewer casing contract for the North Industrial Park and a construction change order for the Santa Fe Community Center.

In project updates, staff reported the Outer Loop North effort is nearing completion of major work and is down to the final beam set; weather has delayed the last span but crews planned to set it during the coming week. Staff said once the project is “out of the ground” — after final storm-sewer placement — remaining work typically moves quickly. David Patrick, a project presenter, described coordination on the last beam and weather impacts.

The downtown City Center work is also nearing substantial completion; staff said the central portion is almost complete and that Fourth Street work will occur in two phases to preserve access during a local festival. Paving and landscaping progress were reported and staff estimated a July completion for the central area.

The first formal vote approved a professional-services contract to update master plans for Crossroads Park and Northland/Wilson Park. The agenda listed the consultant Covey (spelled in meeting materials) and an amount read aloud by staff; the board made the motion, received a second and approved it by voice vote.

The board then approved a contract amendment to upsizing wastewater infrastructure near the North Industrial Park. The item authorized contract work with Vortex Services LLC for casing under a railroad and related sewer upsizing; staff described the authorization as necessary to support local industrial expansions. The board approved the contract by voice vote.

A third vote granted change order No. 4 for the Santa Fe Community Center construction contract with Right Builders for the roof replacement. Staff described a string of earlier change orders (original VE demolition, an inlet structure replacement and discovery of railroad ties in drainage) and said this fourth change order addresses the roof to enable warehouse-style storage and festival staging. The change order amount read into the record was $134,687 and the motion passed by voice vote.

Board members asked how the center would be programmed; staff said programming decisions have not been finalized and that the space is likely to be used as warehouse/staging for festivals and city storage needs. The board approved all three items by voice vote without recorded roll-call tallies.

Staff also reported other active projects — including Lorraine Drive and Milton of Bowdine roadway work — and said most are affected by recent weather delays but approaching final paving and striping.