Current Projects
October 2010
The Infrastructure Division provides sustainable planning, design, construction and support services to enable partner divisions to provide meaningful outdoor experiences to the people of Texas. We help to enhance the quality of life of the people of Texas by contributing to the accomplishment of the department's mission.
To the people of Texas we have a responsibility to provide the highest level of stewardship of the natural, cultural, and fiscal resources that they have entrusted to us.
To the other divisions that are our customers we have a responsibility to provide first-class customer service. We provide to them a quality product that has value, by creating a collaborative partnership built on trust and open communication. We do not just listen to the customer, but truly seek to understand their needs and concerns.
To accomplish this, the Infrastructure Division is organized into multifunctional regional teams that turn the customer divisions’ needs into completed projects.
Ultimately, we add value to each project through a collaborative effort to provide superior customer service and stewardship of resources so that TPWD can provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
We have implemented $44 million in Capital Projects in FY 2008-2009 for state park sites with $33 million in new region-wide packages, $4 million with the agency's Force Account (in-house) construction crews, and $7 million with the traditional design-bid-build model. The new packaging process, using the Construction Manager at Risk (CMR) model, streamlines the projects' completion time (design-through-construction), and guarantees a limited maximum cost to the agency.
We are beginning the implementation of projects that received funds for the FY 2010 -2011 fiscal biennium. This includes $28 million for needed capital repairs at state parks, wildlife management areas and coastal and inland fisheries. Also included is $14 million for repairs and redevelopment of several facilities damaged by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. This will include the master planning and design work for a new Galveston Island State Park. There was also $10 million approved to make needed repairs to sites that consistently receive damage from flood events, including the state's first state park, Mother Neff State Park.
Sheldon Lake Environmental Learning Center
Located on the Beaumont Highway 15 miles east of downtown Houston, the center serves many school districts in the Houston area as a laboratory for science, ecology and biology classes. It is not your standard recreational park, but rather serves as an outdoor classroom for school children and others interested in the flora and fauna of wetlands, woodlands and prairies of East Texas. The first phase of the Environmental Learning Center was completed in 2005.
Phase II of the Sheldon Lake Environmental Learning Center is in progress with construction of an observation tower, the highest platform of which is 60 feet above grade. The tower – to be constructed with surplus oil field pipe – is designed to allow school children and park visitors to view the lake, restored wetlands and prairies as well as observe birds and waterfowl at the park. It will be completely accessible for those with disabilities.
The tower is scheduled to be completed by the end of February 2011. This $1.5 million project is being funded by donors from across the state.
Battleship TEXAS
The historic Battleship TEXAS was built in 1912 and is the only battleship left that fought in both WW I and WW II. It is also the only surviving example of the dreadnought design, popular during the WW I era.
The legislature funded and authorized expenditures of $25 million in 2007 for a permanent dry berth for the ship, located in a slip at the edge of San Jacinto Battleground. The funds will be supplemented with $4 million from The Battleship Texas Foundation. The dry berth is much needed as the 98 year old ship's steel hull continues to corrode, with hull failures occurring all too frequently, necessitating emergency repairs and pumping to keep the ship afloat.
The answer to the problem is to remove the ship from the water by creating a dry berth in its current location. TPWD is negotiating the design contract with the qualified engineering firm selected through a competitive process. It is expected that the design firm will be under contract by November 2010. Future milestones include completion of the preliminary engineering design of the dry berth (early 2011) and an Environmental Assessment (2011 — 2013). Once the federally required environmental and cultural resource documents are completed, the dry berth design will be finalized and construction will begin.
Port O'Connor Coastal Fisheries Lab and Offices
The current TPWD Coastal Fisheries lab and offices at Port O'Connor are housed in a converted 1960's era warehouse. The replacement building will be an 8,000 square foot, two story structure built to LEED Silver standards, designed specifically to facilitate Coastal Fisheries' efforts in monitoring marine conditions in local bays and the shore areas of the Gulf of Mexico. The facility will include a large shop, labs, offices, an interpretive room and a conference room. A detached boat repair and storage building will also be developed. Construction is scheduled to start in June 2011, completing in June 2012.
Galveston Island State Park
Galveston Island State Park was devastated by Hurricane Ike on September 13, 2008. At the recommendation of FEMA to mitigate against future hurricane damage, a new master plan and design is being developed for the park. After an extensive nationwide search, TPWD has contracted with MESA Design and its team of consultants to provide the research and the subsequent master plan for the park. The plan will provide layout and planning of the park and basis for facility design with an initial master plan and cost estimate for reconstruction by December, 2010 and final master plan done by March 2011. TPWD, after approval of the master plan and cost estimates, will contract with the Mesa Design team for architectural and engineering designs and construction documents for the new park facilities. The reconstruction of the park will begin contingent upon funding from the State Legislature in the 2011 session. We estimate a total of three years duration to completely reconstruct the needed facilities, infrastructure, and nature restoration.
Mother Neff State Park
A master planning effort at Mother Neff SP is currently underway to redevelop the park with the goal to relocate primary park operations away from flood prone areas. Concurrently, TPWD is in the process of soliciting and selecting qualified design and construction firms to implement the first phase of the park redevelopment per the completed master plan document. The intent is that funds for the design contract and the contract for pre-construction services will be encumbered in December 2010.
Sea Rim State Park
Sea Rim SP was destroyed by Hurricane Ike in September 2008. The park is currently open for day use. Preliminary design work for Phase 1 redevelopment improvements, as described in Sea Rim State Park (Redevelopment) Master Plan documents, is underway. Preliminary design is on-going for the construction of a boardwalk to the beach, a maintenance building, a park superintendent's residence, potable water distribution system and a wastewater collection and treatment system. Construction is anticipated to start in mid-summer 2011 and will require 9 to 12 months for completion.
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