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Council hears $47.5M CDBG‑MIT drainage plan: dry and wet detention ponds, channel upgrades and phased detours
Summary
Engineers and staff briefed the council on a multi‑activity drainage program funded by a roughly $47,500,000 GLO CDBG‑MIT grant. The plan includes Dry Creek channel deepening, two detention ponds, Theater Ditch South concrete lining, Graber box culverts, and other works; construction bidding is ready and staff aims for completion by next November.
City consultants and staff gave a detailed briefing on the General Land Office Community Development Block Grant‑Mitigation (CDBG‑MIT) drainage program, which the presentation said originated from post‑Hurricane Harvey mitigation funding and a successful competitive application.
"We got a roughly $47,500,000 grant to do a bunch of flood control projects that y'all have had on the books," said Steven Wilcox, the project's principal hydraulic engineer, describing seven separate activities that will be combined under construction. Wilcox explained the scope: widening and deepening sections of Dry Creek, two detention ponds (one designed with a permanent wet bottom and another dry‑bottom, grassed pond), concrete lining of Theater Ditch South, Graber box culvert improvements and other channel works.
Engineers said rising construction costs required value engineering and scope reductions in some segments, and that permitting and an approved jurisdictional determination from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared a key hurdle in April 2025. Wilcox told council the bid package is ready and construction is expected to begin soon, with staff saying they are "aiming to be fully done with construction end of November next year." The team outlined phased road closures and detours for culvert replacements and said they will coordinate with schools and affected neighborhoods.
Council and residents asked about local effects, mosquito concerns in wet ponds, whether the projects will change FEMA floodplain designations (Wilcox said that would require a separate Letter of Map Revision to FEMA), and the timing for localized bottleneck fixes that may require additional city funding in future capital programs.
Next steps: staff will proceed with procurement, share contractor schedules with affected neighborhoods, and return with updates to council as construction is scheduled.
