LAKE JACKSON, Texas — A planned renovation of the Lake Jackson Recreation Center's locker rooms could now carry a $900,000 price tag, after city documents previously placed the project at $700,000 and later $750,000.
The Lake Jackson Development Corporation held a public hearing Wednesday on amending the city's FY 2025-26 half-cent sales tax budget to increase funding for the Recreation Center Locker Room Renovation Project from $750,000 to $900,000.
The meeting agenda also called for the corporation to take action on the proposed increase following the public hearing.
That represents another $150,000 — or 20% — increase over the amount included in the city's current budget.
Project Was Previously Listed at $700,000
The project has grown in cost since it first appeared in city budget discussions.
Lake Jackson Development Corporation records from May 2024 listed the Recreation Center locker room renovation at $700,000.
The city's adopted FY 2025-26 budget later placed $750,000 toward the locker room renovation through the Economic Development Fund, which receives revenue from Lake Jackson's half-cent sales tax.
The latest proposal would put the project $200,000 above that earlier $700,000 figure.
City Has Already Begun the Contractor Process
The project has moved beyond early budget planning.
Lake Jackson sought qualifications earlier this year for a Construction Manager at Risk to oversee the Recreation Center locker room remodel.
Three firms — Broaddus Construction, Construction Masters of Houston and Noble Building & Development — were shortlisted to submit proposals during the second phase of the selection process.
City bid documents say the selected construction manager will work alongside the architect and city during design, provide cost estimates and ultimately submit a guaranteed maximum price for construction.
The documents also call for the contractor to identify potential construction issues, manage bidding and coordinate the eventual work.
Why the Cost Increased Remains Unclear
Wednesday's agenda identifies the requested $150,000 increase but does not explain what caused the project to grow from $750,000 to $900,000.
It is not yet clear from the publicly posted agenda whether construction costs increased, the scope of the renovation changed, bids came in above expectations or additional work was added.
As of publication, minutes showing the outcome of Wednesday's Development Corporation meeting had not yet been posted to the city's online Agenda Center.
The city describes the Lake Jackson Development Corporation as a nonprofit entity that funds parks and recreation facilities as well as infrastructure used for economic development.
Gulf Coast Times will seek additional information from the city regarding why another $150,000 was requested, what improvements are included in the locker room renovation and whether $900,000 is expected to be the project's final cost.