Education
BY VALERIA ESCOBAR
FBISD officials project $3.5M cost increase for aquatic facility
Following a geotechnical analysis of the site where Fort Bend ISD’s aquatic practice facil- ity will be built, district officials are projecting an additional $3.5 million project cost increase atop the initial $6.2 million cost increase last November. The updated price tag is nearly $10 million more than what voters approved in the May 2023 bond. The proposal Officials said the estimated cost of the aquatic facility has risen from the district’s original $25.6 million budget to about $29.1 mil- lion, mainly due to unexpected site preparation work required for a pool comparable to the district’s current Nate Cook Natatorium. Although the bond doesn’t require the district to include specific features, officials said they believe voters expect the new facility to provide “the same opportunities” as the current one. The backstory The $19 million aquatic facility, set to be located at 16707 Bisson- net St., Sugar Land, appeared in the 2023 bond proposal. However,
the facility, along with several other projects, were later found to be underestimated due to unaccounted for inflation costs between November 2022 and the May 2023 bond election. In June, trustees approved earmarking an additional $6.2 million for the aquatic facility. Moving forward The remaining $3.5 million increase is up for board approval in March 2026.
Proposed designs Fort Bend ISD officials can choose from three proposed designs.
Preferred design
Optimized design $29.1 million Stretch 50m pool w/warm-up 20 foot decks $28.2 million Stretch 50m pool w/warm-up 15 foot decks
Budget design
$25.6 million 50m pool 15 foot decks
SOURCE: FORT BEND ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Cemetery project moves forward
Fort Bend ISD approved an agreement with Fort Bend County to support the $4.5 million Sugar Land 95 Memorial Cemetery. The county will provide $1.5 million for groundwork to make the cemetery accessible for the community after the site was found during the 2017 construc- tion of the James Reese Career and Technical Center, Fort Bend ISD officials said.
Zooming in Plans for the memorial include: • A space for visitors to be with ancestors • A pathway and signage to lead visitors through the site • Community and cultural celebrations The groundwork is expected to be completed within 18 months from the time the district partners with a contractor.
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SUGAR LAND - MISSOURI CITY EDITION
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