City and school officials provide progress updates on multiple Denton construction projects
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Summary
City and Benton ISD officials reported that the new Boorman/Gorman elementary is nearing interior completion and that several neighborhood street, trail and Safe Routes to School projects are under construction; officials also described parking, storm-shelter and phasing plans and invited further community input.
City and school officials on April 7 updated a joint meeting of the City of Denton and the Benton ISD board of trustees on several capital projects affecting schools, parks and neighborhood streets.
Brandon Boyter, executive director of construction for the school district, showed photos of the new Boorman (referred to in the presentation also as Gorman/Boorman) elementary and said the insulated concrete form walls are in place, windows are installed and interior drywall work is underway. "The walls are up," Boyter said, adding the only open portion is the courtyard access needed to move heavy equipment. He estimated the project remains on schedule and described the gymnasium as the facility's designated ICC 500 storm shelter.
The presentation addressed capacity and program changes the district used to achieve more efficient space. Boyter said: "Our current elementaries... capacity is somewhere in the 750 range" and that "this building will be able to hold about 900 when it's total," in part because the design adds small-group instruction spaces rather than repurposing whole classrooms.
City transportation staff and Seth Garcia, the city’s director of capital projects, reviewed multiple municipal projects that intersect with school sites. Garcia said Bonnie Brae Phase 6 is in active construction, with underground storm-drain and waterline work nearly complete and the first concrete sections expected in late April or early May. He described the Riney Road East expansion, a trail connection through North Lakes Park to Reeves Elementary, and a Westgate Road Connector project that was substantially complete and expected to finish punch‑list items by the end of the month.
Garcia said the city had secured a $4,600,000 Safe Routes to School grant to fund pedestrian and bicycle improvements around Calhoun Middle School and Newton Raser and that early planning would examine infrastructure within roughly a half‑mile of those campuses. On parking and circulation related to the school land swap, Boyter said the city is acquiring the parking lots east of the old Borman site, which will increase parking adjacent to the rec center and the new soccer field.
Council members and residents asked about temporary pedestrian access, safety at the Bonnie Brae/King's Ridge intersection and the timing for permanent signals and lighting. Garcia said temporary crossings have been installed where feasible and that sidewalk, ramp and signal conduit work is phased to avoid conflicts with paving; he advised monthly project-status updates are posted on the city project website. On lighting requests near Bronco Way, Garcia said the roadway was built by development and is not currently in the city's lighting program but can be considered for future inclusion in the capital or street‑lighting plans.
Parks staff said they have taken possession of tennis courts and field space at the former Calvin Middle School and will engage the surrounding neighborhood to decide whether to retain tennis or repurpose courts for other activities. "We'll take input from the meeting, and we'll also have an online form to engage the greater community," the parks representative said.
The meeting closed with staff noting next steps: continued construction work, monthly updates on the city website and forthcoming community outreach about park activation and Swift implementation of Safe Routes planning. The joint ISD meeting adjourned at 1:07 p.m.
