Council hears progress report on new public works facility; timeline pushed by weather and fire-lane work

City staff provided a construction update on Aug. 12 for the new public works facility at 1284 FM 740, telling the council that the project has moved from site work into preparations for vertical construction and remains on a schedule that anticipates final completion in March 2026.

Staff said the original construction contract was $4.2 million for a 10,860-square-foot metal building; a change order added a 2,400-square-foot bay and other scope items (additional parking, sprinkler work, heaters), increasing the contract to about $4.7 million. The original contract time was 300 days; the change order extended it to 330 days and work began in March 2025. Staff reported approximately 20 rain days to date and said the contractor has changed crews to improve schedule adherence.

Current site work completed includes erosion control, underground utilities, drilled and poured concrete piers, rough plumbing, and form work for grade beams. Staff said the next critical items on the schedule are completing a fire-lane road to meet fire access requirements and starting vertical construction. Project manager FMI is on site and JC Commercial is the general contractor.

Council members asked about schedule-critical items and materials; staff said the main near-term risk is the concrete work for the fire lane and weather-related delays. No change orders beyond the previously approved 4.7-million-dollar amount were reported during the update. Staff estimated final completion in March 2026 assuming current progress and weather forecasts.

The council did not take action on the project at the meeting; the report was informational and council members thanked staff for the update.