Transportation
Education
BY AUBREY VOGEL
BY KELLY SCHAFLER
Fort Bend ISD approves partnership with Friends of the Sugar Land 95
Roads closing off with $1.02M project At an Aug. 19 meeting, City Council approved a $1.02 million contract with iCON General Contractors, LLC for the East Hamp- ton and South Kathy reconstruction project. According to agenda documents, the project includes the closures of East Hamp- ton Circle and South Kathy Avenue with an automated gate and a cul-de-sac. The project will include off-site improvements such as driveway realignment and replacement as well as fencing for an adjacent municipal utility district. What else The project is funded by the city’s 2021 voter-approved $85.85 million bond, accord- ing to agenda documents. Construction will begin soon with an estimated completion of 50 days, City Engineer Marcus Snell said.
Sugar Land OKs $3.19M roundabout, extension At an Aug. 6 meeting, Sugar Land City Council approved a nearly $3.19 million contract with D G Medina Construction LLC for the Soldiers Field Extension and First Colony Roundabout Project. This will address traffic concerns due to a num- ber of crashes, Engineering Manager Huy Ton said. The project will be funded by the city’s nearly $91 million general obligation bond approved by voters in November 2019, Ton said. The project has an additional $1.8 million available from Fort Bend County’s November 2023 mobility bond. The details To minimize the traffic impact during construc- tion, the project will be completed in three phases, including: • Phase 1: Extend Soldiers Field Drive to Hwy. 6 and add a right-turn lane from Hwy. 6 to Soldiers
6
6
SOLDIERS FIELD DR.
N
A partnership between Fort Bend ISD and Friends of the Sugar Land 95 could fund the rest of the Sugar Land 95 Memorial Project. The agreement, approved by FBISD trustees Sept. 23, will allow for funding to be raised to expand the memorial project with outdoor features and community opportunities, according to agenda documents. The site features a cemetery and educational programs. “The contract would provide the district with the mechanism to raise funds outside of our general fund,” Chassidy Olainu-Alade, FBISD coordinator of community and civic engagement, said at the Sept. 9 meeting. The details The Friends of the Sugar Land 95 formed in 2023
as a partner organization to FBISD’s fundraising efforts to memorialize the Sugar Land 95. This affiliate agreement solidifies the part- nership between the nonprofit and district, and aids the district in community engagement and stewardship for the cemetery, Olainu-Alade said. What happened The Sugar Land 95 is a name given to the 95 individuals discovered in February 2018 when FBISD contractors built the James Reese Career and Technical Center. They are believed to have been part of the state’s convict leasing program. MASS Design Group presented plans for the expanded memorial last September at a price tag of up to $4.5 million. “Everything done on this project is
Plans for the memorial site include: • A pathway to lead visitors through the site with benches
FIRST COLONY BLVD.
N
• Signs throughout conveying information about those interned in the cemetery based on bio-forensic data, genealogical studies and archival research • Community experiences and cultural celebrations • Commemorative rituals and memorializations
Field Drive • Phase 2: Remove the existing cul-de-sac on Soldiers Field Drive and reconstruct pavement • Phase 3: Construct a new roundabout at Soldiers Field Drive and First Colony Boulevard The project will also add bike lanes and sidewalks as well as storm sewer, waterline and sanitary improvements, Ton said. Looking ahead Construction will begin in mid-October with completion expected by May 2025, officials said.
SOURCE: MASS DESIGN GROUP/COMMUNITY IMPACT
history-making because of the uniqueness of the project and the location of a cemetery on a school campus,” Marilyn Moore, president of Friends of the Sugar Land 95, said at the Sept. 23 meeting.
SUGAR LAND 3335 Hwy 6 S (281) 313-4446 MISSOURI CITY 5418 Hwy 6 (281) 403-0400
SUGAR CREEK 13827 Southwest Fwy (281) 491-8628 SIENNA PLANTATION 9034 Sienna Crossing Dr (281) 778-9959
NEW TERRITORY 5720 New Territory Blvd (281) 491-0811
Powered by FlippingBook