The City of Bellaire is moving forward with a plan to rebuild its police and municipal building and city hall/civic center.
The Bellaire City Council has approved an agreement with PGAL for concept design studies for a new city hall, civic center, police station and municipal court building.
Monday night, Council approved a $12,000 agreement with PGAL for design services with six council members in favor and one opposed.
Councilman Pat McLaughlan said that he could not support replacing a “perfectly functional city hall” and said that the taxpayer’s money could be put to “better use.”
PGAL is expected to bring a design study back to council within 70 days. The firm will look at several location options for the facilities including the existing Town Center site and downtown Bellaire locations.
The council was presented with a facilities condition assessment in February to help the council make decisions regarding the unfinished portions of the Rebuild Bellaire Facilities Bond Program, which was approved by voters in 2005.
The estimated cost to rebuild the police station/municipal court building and the city hall/civic center is $11.7 million.
City Manager Bernie Satterwhite said that there is still money available from the 2005 bond election, $3.2 million, which can go toward the project. The rest of the money would need to be obtained by issuing debt. A possible bond election may be put in front of Bellaire voters as early as November.
We hope that they will do serious thinking. “Evelyn’s Park” would be a natural contender.